Securian Asset Management Inc. Sells 375 Shares of United States Steel Co. (NYSE:X)

Securian Asset Management Inc. trimmed its position in shares of United States Steel Co. (NYSE:X) by 2.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 17,022 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 375 shares during the period. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in United States Steel were worth $579,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of X. Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. purchased a new position in United States Steel during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in United States Steel during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Parkworth Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in United States Steel during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in United States Steel during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Smithfield Trust Co grew its stake in United States Steel by 903.0% during the fourth quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 1,003 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 903 shares in the last quarter. 81.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

United States Steel Trading Up 3.8 %

Shares of X opened at $38.94 on Monday. United States Steel Co. has a 1-year low of $26.92 and a 1-year high of $43.35. The company has a 50-day moving average of $37.09 and a 200 day moving average of $36.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.13, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 0.91.

United States Steel (NYSE:X) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The basic materials company reported ($0.18) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.20 by ($0.38). United States Steel had a net margin of 2.46% and a return on equity of 4.27%. On average, research analysts expect that United States Steel Co. will post 1.43 EPS for the current year.

United States Steel Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th were issued a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 10th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.51%. United States Steel’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.42%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

X has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of United States Steel from $45.00 to $40.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of United States Steel from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of United States Steel in a report on Monday, January 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $35.00 target price for the company. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of United States Steel from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of United States Steel from $39.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $40.70.

United States Steel Profile

United States Steel Corporation produces and sells flat-rolled and tubular steel products primarily in North America and Europe. The company operates through North American Flat-Rolled (Flat-Rolled), Mini Mill, U. S. Steel Europe (USSE), and Tubular Products (Tubular) segments. The Flat-Rolled segment offers slabs, strip mill plates, sheets, and tin mill products, as well as iron ore and coke.