Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $69.67.

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised Xcel Energy from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price target for the company from $70.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Monday, January 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the company from $69.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $72.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 22nd. KeyCorp increased their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $71.00 to $76.00 in a research note on Friday, November 1st.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ XEL opened at $66.72 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $38.31 billion, a PE ratio of 19.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.42. Xcel Energy has a 1 year low of $46.79 and a 1 year high of $73.38. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $68.41 and a 200-day moving average price of $63.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.82.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.26 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $3.64 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.93 billion. Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.76% and a net margin of 13.67%. The business’s revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.23 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy will post 3.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Xcel Energy Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 29th. Investors of record on Monday, January 6th will be paid a $0.5475 dividend. This represents a $2.19 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 6th. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 64.99%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Xcel Energy

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of XEL. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Xcel Energy in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. MCF Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 566.3% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 593 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 504 shares in the last quarter. Finally, West Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Institutional investors own 78.38% of the company’s stock.

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.