PFG Advisors Invests $349,000 in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

PFG Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 5,172 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $349,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Xcel Energy by 12.0% during the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 90,604 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,118,000 after buying an additional 9,741 shares during the last quarter. Wealth High Governance Capital Ltda bought a new position in Xcel Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,515,000. Moors & Cabot Inc. boosted its stake in Xcel Energy by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 11,442 shares of the company’s stock valued at $773,000 after buying an additional 658 shares during the last quarter. AGF Management Ltd. boosted its stake in Xcel Energy by 24.7% during the fourth quarter. AGF Management Ltd. now owns 88,088 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,948,000 after buying an additional 17,440 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fairway Wealth LLC bought a new position in Xcel Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 78.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Xcel Energy Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ:XEL opened at $69.75 on Friday. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 52-week low of $51.37 and a 52-week high of $73.38. The stock has a market cap of $40.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37. The business’s 50 day moving average is $67.75 and its 200 day moving average is $66.75. 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 (NASDAQ:XEL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.06). Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.65% and a net margin of 14.40%. Sell-side analysts predict that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.27%. This is a boost from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 66.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

XEL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. KeyCorp upped their price objective on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $69.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $72.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Xcel Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $71.10.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Devin W. Stockfish bought 2,170 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $68.93 per share, with a total value of $149,578.10. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Xcel Energy 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.