Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Shares Sold by SIR Capital Management L.P.

SIR Capital Management L.P. cut its stake in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Free Report) by 10.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 160,425 shares of the company's stock after selling 19,075 shares during the period. SIR Capital Management L.P.'s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $10,832,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Fairway Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Xcel Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. MCF Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 566.3% in the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 593 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 504 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC increased its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 26.0% in the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 731 shares of the company's stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.38% of the company's stock.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

Xcel Energy stock traded up $1.12 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $72.38. 7,152,902 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,620,693. The stock's fifty day moving average is $69.73 and its 200-day moving average is $68.77. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 12 month low of $51.97 and a 12 month high of $73.38. The stock has a market cap of $41.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.04, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $0.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.95 by ($0.11). Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.65% and a net margin of 14.40%. The business had revenue of $3.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.93 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.88 earnings per share. Xcel Energy's revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th were issued a $0.57 dividend. This is a boost from Xcel Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.15%. Xcel Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 67.06%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Devin W. Stockfish bought 2,170 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $68.93 per share, with a total value of $149,578.10. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,007 shares in the company, valued at $207,272.51. This trade represents a 259.26% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on XEL. Wells Fargo & Company set a $78.00 price target on Xcel Energy and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Xcel Energy from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $79.00 price target on Xcel Energy and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Barclays boosted their target price on Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Xcel Energy from $69.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Xcel Energy has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $76.00.

Xcel Energy Profile

Xcel Energy Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, purchasing, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. It operates through Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility, and All Other segments. The company generates electricity through wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, biomass, and solar energy sources, as well as coal, natural gas, oil, wood, and refuse-derived fuels.