Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE - Get Free Report) had its target price increased by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley from $87.00 to $88.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "overweight" rating on the utilities provider's stock. Morgan Stanley's price objective would suggest a potential upside of 18.53% from the stock's current price.

Several other research analysts have also commented on SRE. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Sempra Energy from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $99.00 to $76.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Sempra Energy from $93.00 to $70.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Argus lowered shares of Sempra Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Sempra Energy from $78.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, UBS Group lowered Sempra Energy from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $95.00 to $78.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $80.83.

Sempra Energy Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE SRE traded up $0.16 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $74.24. The stock had a trading volume of 670,983 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,789,083. Sempra Energy has a one year low of $61.90 and a one year high of $95.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.64. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $74.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $78.07.

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The utilities provider reported $1.44 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $0.12. Sempra Energy had a net margin of 22.15% and a return on equity of 8.55%. The business had revenue of $3.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.90 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.34 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Sempra Energy will post 4.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Justin Christopher Bird sold 4,817 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.23, for a total value of $343,114.91. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 19,778 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,408,786.94. This trade represents a 19.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Diana L. Day sold 8,015 shares of Sempra Energy stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.26, for a total transaction of $595,193.90. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 16,969 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,260,117.94. This trade represents a 32.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.27% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sempra Energy

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Sempra Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Synergy Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Sempra Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. TCTC Holdings LLC raised its holdings in shares of Sempra Energy by 265.2% in the fourth quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 336 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 244 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Sempra Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Mattson Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sempra Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.65% of the company's stock.

About Sempra Energy

Sempra operates as an energy infrastructure company in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Sempra California, Sempra Texas Utilities, and Sempra Infrastructure. The Sempra California segment provides electric services; and natural gas services to San Diego County.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.