BNP Paribas Financial Markets Sells 254,224 Shares of UGI Co. (NYSE:UGI)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets lowered its stake in UGI Co. (NYSE:UGI - Free Report) by 58.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 182,531 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 254,224 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets owned 0.09% of UGI worth $5,153,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new stake in UGI in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in UGI by 216.7% in the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 893 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 611 shares during the last quarter. S.A. Mason LLC purchased a new position in shares of UGI during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. GeoWealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of UGI during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of UGI during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.34% of the company's stock.

UGI Stock Performance

Shares of UGI stock traded up $0.42 on Monday, hitting $35.90. 1,539,358 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,231,845. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $32.94 and a 200-day simple moving average of $30.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.70 billion, a PE ratio of 14.13, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.05. UGI Co. has a 1 year low of $22.01 and a 1 year high of $35.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 1.00.

UGI (NYSE:UGI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $2.67 billion for 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.97 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that UGI Co. will post 3.02 EPS for the current year.

UGI Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $0.375 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 16th. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.18%. UGI's payout ratio is 61.73%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Michael Sharp acquired 4,806 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 27th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $33.30 per share, for a total transaction of $160,039.80. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 4,806 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $160,039.80. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 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.