Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Short Interest Up 49,568.5% in July

Key Points

• Xcel Energy Inc. experienced a dramatic increase in short interest, rising 49,568.5% in July, with a total of 8,990,000 shares shorted compared to just 18,100 at the end of June.
• Several institutional investors have recently increased their stakes in Xcel Energy, with 78.38% of the stock now owned by such investors, indicating strong institutional confidence.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share, yielding 3.1%, with the payout scheduled for October 20th, reflecting its commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 8,990,000 shares, agrowthof49,568.5% from the June 30th total of 18,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,490,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days. Based on an average daily volume of 3,490,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of XEL. Accent Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. BankPlus Trust Department purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Rise Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 62.9% during the second quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 518 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Marshall & Sullivan Inc. WA purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, RMG Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 78.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on XEL. Barclays lifted their target price on Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded Xcel Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Mizuho lifted their target price on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company set a $78.00 target price on Xcel Energy and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Xcel Energy from $69.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Xcel Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $76.00.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

Shares of XEL traded up $0.09 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $73.53. 1,925,377 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,626,144. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $69.10 and a 200-day moving average of $69.07. Xcel Energy has a one year low of $57.24 and a one year high of $74.13. The firm has a market cap of $42.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.65, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.70.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $3.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.31 billion. Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 14.10%. The company's revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.54 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Xcel Energy will post 3.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Xcel Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. Xcel Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.06%.

Xcel Energy Company 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.

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