NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $111.43.

NRG has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Evercore ISI upgraded NRG Energy from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $74.00 to $126.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Citigroup increased their target price on NRG Energy from $84.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on NRG Energy from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded NRG Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $93.00 to $113.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on NRG Energy from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th.

NRG Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NRG opened at $102.96 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $20.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.57. NRG Energy has a 1-year low of $51.26 and a 1-year high of $115.38. The business’s 50 day moving average is $98.59 and its 200-day moving average is $90.22.

NRG Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 3rd will be issued a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 3rd. This is an increase from NRG Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. NRG Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling at NRG Energy

In other NRG Energy news, VP Robert J. Gaudette sold 60,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.41, for a total value of $5,484,600.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 64,448 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,891,191.68. This trade represents a 48.21 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Bruce Chung sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.63, for a total value of $1,952,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 69,454 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,780,794.02. This represents a 22.36 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.86% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NRG Energy

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of NRG. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its holdings in shares of NRG Energy by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 76,412 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $5,950,000 after acquiring an additional 2,547 shares in the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NRG Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,012,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NRG Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,120,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund acquired a new stake in shares of NRG Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,412,000. Finally, Centaurus Financial Inc. bought a new position in NRG Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $111,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.72% of the company’s stock.

NRG Energy Company Profile

NRG Energy, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy and home services company in the United States and Canada. It operates through Texas; East; West/Services/Other; Vivint Smart Home; and Corporate Activities segments. The company produces and sells electricity generated using coal, oil, solar, and battery storage; natural gas; and a cloud-based home platform, including hardware, software, sales, installation, customer service, technical support, and professional monitoring solutions.