National Grid plc (NYSE:NGG) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

National Grid plc (NYSE:NGG) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the five ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company.

A number of analysts recently commented on NGG shares. Citigroup lowered National Grid from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of National Grid in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock.

National Grid Stock Performance

NYSE:NGG opened at $58.86 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. National Grid has a twelve month low of $55.13 and a twelve month high of $73.40. The company has a fifty day moving average of $63.21 and a 200-day moving average of $63.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.19, a P/E/G ratio of 5.49 and a beta of 0.62.

National Grid Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 22nd will be given a $2.4939 dividend. This represents a yield of 4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 22nd. National Grid’s payout ratio is 41.61%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National Grid

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of NGG. Pathstone Holdings LLC grew its position in National Grid by 46.0% during the third quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 36,202 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,522,000 after buying an additional 11,402 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in National Grid during the third quarter valued at about $1,624,000. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its position in National Grid by 51.9% during the third quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 111,526 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $7,770,000 after purchasing an additional 38,123 shares during the period. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of National Grid by 1,620.2% in the third quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 38,480 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,681,000 after purchasing an additional 36,243 shares during the period. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI lifted its stake in shares of National Grid by 351.1% during the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 207,116 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $14,429,000 after buying an additional 161,204 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 4.68% of the company’s stock.

About National Grid

National Grid plc transmits and distributes electricity and gas. It operates through UK Electricity Transmission, UK Electricity Distribution, UK Electricity System Operator, New England, New York, National Grid Ventures, and Other segments. The UK Electricity Transmission segment provides electricity transmission and construction work services in England and Wales.