Alliancebernstein L.P. Lowers Stock Position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

Alliancebernstein L.P. lessened its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 0.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 714,839 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,100 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. owned 0.12% of Xcel Energy worth $48,266,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $127,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 48,200.0% in the third quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 16,422 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,072,000 after acquiring an additional 16,388 shares during the last quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the third quarter valued at $230,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 1,265.6% during the third quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 839,146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,797,000 after acquiring an additional 777,696 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Investment Management Corp of Ontario raised its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 48.4% in the 3rd quarter. Investment Management Corp of Ontario now owns 18,394 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,201,000 after purchasing an additional 6,000 shares during the last quarter. 78.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Xcel Energy Trading Down 5.9 %

Xcel Energy stock opened at $67.89 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $68.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $67.45. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 52-week low of $51.97 and a 52-week high of $73.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The company has a market cap of $39.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.74, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.06). Xcel Energy had a net margin of 14.40% and a return on equity of 10.65%. Analysts predict that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. Xcel Energy’s payout ratio is currently 66.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Devin W. Stockfish acquired 2,170 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $68.93 per share, for a total transaction of $149,578.10. Following the purchase, the director now owns 3,007 shares in the company, valued at $207,272.51. The trade was a 259.26 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $69.00 to $80.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on Xcel Energy from $69.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Xcel Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $73.00.

About Xcel Energy

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.