Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Shares Sold by Los Angeles Capital Management LLC

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 71.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 67,038 shares of the company’s stock after selling 164,378 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $4,526,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in XEL. Hodges Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Xcel Energy by 447.1% in the 4th quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 51,396 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,470,000 after purchasing an additional 42,001 shares during the last quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 7.0% during the third quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 189,954 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,404,000 after buying an additional 12,477 shares during the period. Atomi Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $278,000. ING Groep NV grew its holdings in Xcel Energy by 85.0% in the 3rd quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 231,482 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,116,000 after buying an additional 106,326 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GEN Financial Management INC. acquired a new stake in Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $301,000. 78.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ XEL opened at $70.76 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $67.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $65.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.57, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 52-week low of $46.79 and a 52-week high of $73.38.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.06). Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.65% and a net margin of 14.40%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.22%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is an increase from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 63.66%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on XEL. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $71.00 to $76.00 in a research report on Friday, November 1st. KeyCorp upped their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the company from $69.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley reduced 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 note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Xcel Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $69.91.

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.