Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Shares Acquired by Brooklyn Investment Group

Brooklyn Investment Group lifted its holdings in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 10.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,920 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the period. Brooklyn Investment Group’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $130,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the third quarter worth $25,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in Xcel Energy in the third quarter valued at $33,000. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new position in Xcel Energy in the second quarter valued at $35,000. West Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Xcel Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. Finally, First Financial Corp IN purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $46,000. 78.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on XEL. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on 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. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $71.00 to $76.00 in a research report on Friday, November 1st. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised 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 report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised Xcel Energy from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $70.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $69.67.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

Shares of XEL stock opened at $66.72 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $68.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $63.51. 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 stock has a market capitalization 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 Inc. has a 52-week low of $46.79 and a 52-week high of $73.38.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.26 by ($0.01). Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.76% and a net margin of 13.67%. The firm had revenue of $3.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.93 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.54 EPS for the current year.

Xcel Energy Cuts Dividend

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

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.