Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Shares Sold by United Services Automobile Association

United Services Automobile Association decreased its stake in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 10.8% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 13,030 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,580 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $880,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 37,143,025 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,445,477,000 after purchasing an additional 2,323,448 shares during the last quarter. Brookfield Corp ON lifted its holdings in Xcel Energy by 520.1% during the 3rd quarter. Brookfield Corp ON now owns 2,509,031 shares of the company’s stock worth $163,840,000 after buying an additional 2,104,405 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $83,653,000. Reaves W H & Co. Inc. raised its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 440.2% during the 4th quarter. Reaves W H & Co. Inc. now owns 1,455,927 shares of the company’s stock worth $98,304,000 after acquiring an additional 1,186,427 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Burkehill Global Management LP purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $67,520,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.38% of the company’s stock.

Xcel Energy Stock Down 0.4 %

XEL opened at $68.86 on Tuesday. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 52 week low of $51.58 and a 52 week high of $73.38. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $68.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $67.12. 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 $39.56 billion, a PE ratio of 20.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 14.40% and a return on equity of 10.65%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.31%. This is a positive change from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. Xcel Energy’s payout ratio is 66.28%.

Insider Activity at Xcel Energy

In other Xcel Energy news, Director Devin W. Stockfish acquired 2,170 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $68.93 per share, for a total transaction of $149,578.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $207,272.51. The trade was a 259.26 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on XEL shares. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $70.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $69.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $72.30.

Xcel Energy Company Profile

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.