Arizona State Retirement System Boosts Stake in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

Arizona State Retirement System raised its position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 161,927 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,738 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $10,933,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 566.3% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 593 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares during the last quarter. 78.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:XEL opened at $67.66 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $67.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.35. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 52 week low of $48.69 and a 52 week high of $73.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.67, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42.

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

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The business 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 dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

XEL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $69.00 to $80.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $72.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $69.91.

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.