Larson Financial Group LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 22.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,537 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,078 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $753,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the third quarter worth $25,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy during the second quarter worth about $30,000. American National Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the second quarter worth about $32,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 78.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on XEL. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $72.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $71.00 to $76.00 in a report on Friday, November 1st. Barclays increased their price target on Xcel Energy from $57.00 to $67.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Xcel Energy from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Argus raised shares of Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $68.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, August 26th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Xcel Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $66.31.

Xcel Energy Trading Up 0.4 %

NASDAQ XEL opened at $71.60 on Tuesday. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 12 month low of $46.79 and a 12 month high of $71.95. The company has a market capitalization of $41.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $65.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $59.93.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.26 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $3.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.93 billion. Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.76% and a net margin of 13.67%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.