Cynosure Group LLC Sells 416 Shares of Chesapeake Utilities Co. (NYSE:CPK)

Cynosure Group LLC lessened its stake in shares of Chesapeake Utilities Co. (NYSE:CPK) by 14.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,536 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 416 shares during the quarter. Cynosure Group LLC’s holdings in Chesapeake Utilities were worth $308,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 3.0% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 259,064 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $32,168,000 after acquiring an additional 7,666 shares during the period. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in Chesapeake Utilities by 12.7% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 4,859 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $603,000 after purchasing an additional 547 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in Chesapeake Utilities by 31.1% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 61,561 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $7,644,000 after buying an additional 14,607 shares in the last quarter. Centiva Capital LP bought a new stake in Chesapeake Utilities during the third quarter worth about $357,000. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 2.4% during the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 5,659 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $702,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.11% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com raised Chesapeake Utilities from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 7th.

Chesapeake Utilities Trading Up 0.2 %

CPK opened at $129.85 on Thursday. Chesapeake Utilities Co. has a 1-year low of $98.32 and a 1-year high of $134.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.99 billion, a PE ratio of 26.34 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $125.19 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $123.94.

Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The utilities provider reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.67 by ($0.04). Chesapeake Utilities had a net margin of 14.16% and a return on equity of 9.08%. The company had revenue of $215.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $237.84 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.64 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Chesapeake Utilities Co. will post 5.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chesapeake Utilities Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 7th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a $0.64 dividend. This represents a $2.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.97%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. Chesapeake Utilities’s dividend payout ratio is 48.58%.

Chesapeake Utilities Profile

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation operates as an energy delivery company. The company operates through two segments, Regulated Energy and Unregulated Energy. The Regulated Energy segment natural gas distribution operations in central and southern Delaware, Maryland's eastern shore, and Florida; regulated natural gas transmission in the Delmarva Peninsula, Ohio, and Florida; and regulated electric distribution in northeast and northwest Florida.