UGI (NYSE:UGI) Raised to Buy at StockNews.com

UGI (NYSE:UGI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Friday.

UGI has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Mizuho increased their price target on UGI from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. TheStreet upgraded UGI from a "d+" rating to a "c-" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on UGI from $28.00 to $27.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday.

UGI Price Performance

UGI stock traded up $0.07 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $24.30. 4,504,497 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,113,874. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59. UGI has a 12 month low of $20.19 and a 12 month high of $32.50. The stock's fifty day moving average is $24.63 and its 200-day moving average is $23.48. The stock has a market cap of $5.09 billion, a P/E ratio of -59.25 and a beta of 1.13.

UGI (NYSE:UGI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.32. UGI had a negative net margin of 0.89% and a positive return on equity of 16.18%. The firm had revenue of $2.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.68 EPS. The business's revenue was down 20.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that UGI will post 2.9 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UGI

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Easterly Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UGI in the first quarter valued at about $1,005,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP increased its stake in UGI by 962.1% during the 1st quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 149,186 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $3,661,000 after buying an additional 135,140 shares in the last quarter. Haverford Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of UGI during the first quarter valued at approximately $196,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its position in shares of UGI by 3.7% in the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 245,584 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $6,027,000 after acquiring an additional 8,796 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in shares of UGI by 57.5% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 523,873 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $12,856,000 after acquiring an additional 191,260 shares during the last quarter. 82.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About UGI

UGI Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, distributes, stores, transports, and markets energy products and related services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: AmeriGas Propane, UGI International, Midstream & Marketing, and UGI Utilities. It distributes propane to approximately 1.3 million residential, commercial/industrial, motor fuel, agricultural, and wholesale customers through 1,400 propane distribution locations.

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