Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES) Shares Sold by ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc.

ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. reduced its position in Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES - Free Report) by 22.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 191,157 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 54,592 shares during the period. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. owned about 0.05% of Eversource Energy worth $11,873,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mizuho Bank Ltd. purchased a new position in Eversource Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Assetmark Inc. increased its position in Eversource Energy by 99.2% during the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 510 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Pinney & Scofield Inc. purchased a new position in Eversource Energy during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Rossby Financial LCC purchased a new position in Eversource Energy during the first quarter worth $34,000. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC increased its position in Eversource Energy by 168.7% during the fourth quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 610 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 383 shares in the last quarter. 79.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Penelope M. Conner sold 2,600 shares of Eversource Energy stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.00, for a total value of $166,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,988 shares in the company, valued at approximately $703,232. This trade represents a 19.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.41% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Eversource Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Eversource Energy from $71.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Mizuho raised their price target on Eversource Energy from $68.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an "underweight" rating and set a $58.00 price target (down previously from $69.00) on shares of Eversource Energy in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $65.67.

Eversource Energy Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:ES traded up $0.12 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $64.57. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,471,270 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,494,896. The firm has a market cap of $23.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. Eversource Energy has a 1 year low of $52.28 and a 1 year high of $69.01. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $62.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $60.31.

Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50. Eversource Energy had a return on equity of 11.04% and a net margin of 6.63%. The firm had revenue of $4.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.65 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.49 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Eversource Energy will post 4.75 EPS for the current year.

Eversource Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th were issued a $0.7525 dividend. This represents a $3.01 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.66%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. Eversource Energy's payout ratio is currently 129.74%.

Eversource Energy Profile

Eversource Energy, a public utility holding company, engages in the energy delivery business. The company operates through Electric Distribution, Electric Transmission, Natural Gas Distribution, and Water Distribution segments. It is involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity; solar power facilities; and distribution of natural gas.