SM Energy (NYSE:SM) Stock Price Down 4.2% - What's Next?

SM Energy (NYSE:SM - Get Free Report)'s stock price fell 4.2% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $24.09 and last traded at $24.17. 1,076,886 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 46% from the average session volume of 1,981,287 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.24.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on SM shares. Stephens reduced their target price on SM Energy from $62.00 to $55.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of SM Energy from $54.00 to $41.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. Williams Trading set a $41.00 target price on shares of SM Energy in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of SM Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of SM Energy from $45.00 to $33.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, SM Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.42.

SM Energy Stock Up 3.6%

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $23.34 and a two-hundred day moving average of $32.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.85 billion, a PE ratio of 3.72 and a beta of 2.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 3.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The energy company reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.60 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $844.54 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $814.62 million. SM Energy had a net margin of 28.63% and a return on equity of 19.82%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 50.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.13 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that SM Energy will post 8.1 earnings per share for the current year.

SM Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 5th. Investors of record on Friday, April 18th were paid a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 17th. SM Energy's payout ratio is currently 11.20%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SM Energy

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of SM. Gallacher Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of SM Energy by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Gallacher Capital Management LLC now owns 8,206 shares of the energy company's stock worth $318,000 after purchasing an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 11,970 shares of the energy company's stock worth $464,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 97,800 shares of the energy company's stock worth $3,791,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its position in shares of SM Energy by 6.4% in the fourth quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 6,718 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $260,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in SM Energy by 69.5% in the first quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,017 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 417 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.56% of the company's stock.

SM Energy Company Profile

SM Energy Company, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, gas, and natural gas liquids in the state of Texas. It has working interests in oil and gas producing wells in the Midland Basin and South Texas. The company was formerly known as St.