NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) Raised to "Buy" at Wall Street Zen

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Friday.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on NRG. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on NRG Energy from $113.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on NRG Energy from $165.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Guggenheim increased their target price on NRG Energy from $138.00 to $173.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Barclays set a $197.00 target price on NRG Energy and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated a "market perform" rating and issued a $167.00 target price (up previously from $115.00) on shares of NRG Energy in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, NRG Energy has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $151.80.

NRG Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NRG traded up $1.25 on Friday, reaching $162.79. 9,662,378 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,987,533. NRG Energy has a fifty-two week low of $65.11 and a fifty-two week high of $168.57. The company's 50 day moving average is $141.87 and its 200-day moving average is $113.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.83 billion, a PE ratio of 26.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.02.

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 12th. The utilities provider reported $2.62 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.72 by $1.90. NRG Energy had a return on equity of 73.78% and a net margin of 4.66%. The company had revenue of $8.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.28 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.31 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 15.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that NRG Energy will post 6.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at NRG Energy

In other news, Director Kevin Howell sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.50, for a total value of $7,725,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 55,427 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,563,471.50. This represents a 47.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.86% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NRG Energy

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Horizon Investments LLC increased its position in NRG Energy by 3.0% during the first quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 2,908 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $276,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. lifted its stake in shares of NRG Energy by 12.1% in the first quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 900 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $86,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the period. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. lifted its stake in shares of NRG Energy by 13.0% in the first quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 904 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $86,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its stake in shares of NRG Energy by 8.7% in the first quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,482 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $141,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Finally, Schechter Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of NRG Energy by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC now owns 15,916 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,436,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the period. 97.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NRG Energy Company Profile

NRG Energy, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy and home services company in the United States and Canada. It operates through Texas; East; West/Services/Other; Vivint Smart Home; and Corporate Activities segments. The company produces and sells electricity generated using coal, oil, solar, and battery storage; natural gas; and a cloud-based home platform, including hardware, software, sales, installation, customer service, technical support, and professional monitoring solutions.