1,779 Shares in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Acquired by Millstone Evans Group LLC

Millstone Evans Group LLC purchased a new position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor purchased 1,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $120,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of XEL. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Fairway Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. MCF Advisors LLC boosted its position in Xcel Energy by 566.3% in the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 593 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Financial Corp IN purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.38% of the company’s stock.

Xcel Energy Stock Down 1.4 %

NASDAQ XEL opened at $69.11 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $68.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $67.05. Xcel Energy Inc. has a one year low of $51.58 and a one year high of $73.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.93. The company has a market cap of $39.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. Research analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is an increase from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.30%. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on XEL. UBS Group upped their price objective on Xcel Energy from $70.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday. 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. KeyCorp increased their target price on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, 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 report on Friday, February 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.30.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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