ProShare Advisors LLC Purchases 38,958 Shares of UGI Co. (NYSE:UGI)

ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of UGI Co. (NYSE:UGI - Free Report) by 3.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,356,926 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 38,958 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.63% of UGI worth $38,306,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of UGI. Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new position in UGI in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in shares of UGI by 216.7% during the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 893 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 611 shares during the period. S.A. Mason LLC acquired a new position in shares of UGI during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. GeoWealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of UGI during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of UGI during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. 82.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

UGI Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:UGI traded down $0.42 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $35.61. The stock had a trading volume of 324,396 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,230,410. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 1.00. The company has a market cap of $7.64 billion, a PE ratio of 14.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.05. UGI Co. has a 12-month low of $22.01 and a 12-month high of $36.35. The company's 50 day moving average is $33.02 and its 200-day moving average is $30.60.

UGI (NYSE:UGI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.41. The company had revenue of $2.67 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.26 billion. UGI had a net margin of 7.73% and a return on equity of 15.19%. The company's revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.97 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that UGI Co. will post 3.02 EPS for the current year.

UGI Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a $0.375 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 16th. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.21%. UGI's payout ratio is 61.73%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UGI shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of UGI from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of UGI from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th.

Insider Buying and Selling at UGI

In other news, insider Michael Sharp purchased 4,806 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 27th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $33.30 per share, for a total transaction of $160,039.80. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 4,806 shares in the company, valued at approximately $160,039.80. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.73% of the company's stock.

UGI Profile

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.