Sempra (NYSE:SRE) Reaches New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Sempra (NYSE:SREGet Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $93.12 and last traded at $92.63, with a volume of 100776 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $92.20.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SRE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Sempra from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Sempra in a report on Thursday, September 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $94.00 price target on the stock. Barclays increased their price target on Sempra from $87.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of Sempra from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Sempra from $87.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $89.00.

Check Out Our Latest Report on SRE

Sempra Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a current ratio of 0.52. The company has a 50-day moving average of $83.99 and a 200-day moving average of $79.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.75.

Sempra (NYSE:SREGet Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.05 by ($0.16). Sempra had a net margin of 22.63% and a return on equity of 8.06%. The firm had revenue of $2.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.54 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.08 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Sempra will post 4.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sempra Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.70%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 5th. Sempra’s dividend payout ratio is 54.63%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sempra

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Eastern Bank bought a new position in Sempra during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Hollencrest Capital Management grew its position in Sempra by 250.0% in the third quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 378 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Family Firm Inc. bought a new position in Sempra in the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Sempra in the second quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. bought a new position in Sempra in the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.65% of the company’s stock.

Sempra Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Sempra operates as an energy infrastructure company in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Sempra California, Sempra Texas Utilities, and Sempra Infrastructure. The Sempra California segment provides electric services; and natural gas services to San Diego County.

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