StockNews.com Begins Coverage on Hess (NYSE:HES)

Analysts at StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Hess (NYSE:HES - Get Free Report) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday. The firm set a "hold" rating on the oil and gas producer's stock.

HES has been the subject of several other research reports. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Hess from $170.00 to $163.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Scotiabank decreased their target price on shares of Hess from $164.00 to $146.58 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Susquehanna dropped their price target on shares of Hess from $160.00 to $136.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $162.16.

Hess Stock Down 0.2%

Hess stock traded down $0.21 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $134.86. 1,688,439 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,807,971. Hess has a 52-week low of $123.79 and a 52-week high of $161.69. The firm has a market cap of $41.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.98 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.12. The company's 50-day moving average is $139.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $141.33.

Hess (NYSE:HES - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.95 by ($0.14). The company had revenue of $2.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.95 billion. Hess had a return on equity of 26.32% and a net margin of 21.27%. Hess's quarterly revenue was down 12.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.16 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Hess will post 8.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Hess

In other news, CEO John B. Hess sold 175,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.30, for a total value of $27,877,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 2,384,679 shares in the company, valued at approximately $379,879,364.70. The trade was a 6.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 9.10% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hess

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Hess by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 2,154 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $287,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in Hess by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 3,971 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $528,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in Hess by 8.4% in the first quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,019 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $163,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems boosted its holdings in shares of Hess by 0.4% during the first quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 19,073 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $3,047,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Finally, Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Hess by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,682 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. 88.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Hess

Hess Corporation, an exploration and production company, explores, develops, produces, purchases, transports, and sells crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Exploration and Production, and Midstream. It conducts production operations primarily in the United States, Guyana, the Malaysia/Thailand Joint Development Area, and Malaysia; and exploration activities principally offshore Guyana, the U.S.