Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET) Stock Price Down 0.2% – Time to Sell?

Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) was down 0.2% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $19.55 and last traded at $19.61. Approximately 3,495,931 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 79% from the average daily volume of 16,999,039 shares. The stock had previously closed at $19.65.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ET has been the topic of several recent research reports. Barclays lifted their target price on Energy Transfer from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Energy Transfer from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Energy Transfer from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Energy Transfer from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Energy Transfer from $20.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, December 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Energy Transfer has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.18.

Energy Transfer Trading Up 0.8 %

The stock has a market cap of $68.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.69, a PEG ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.69. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $19.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $17.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.88.

Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The pipeline company reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by ($0.06). Energy Transfer had a net margin of 5.90% and a return on equity of 12.38%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Energy Transfer LP will post 1.37 EPS for the current year.

Energy Transfer Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.325 per share. This is a positive change from Energy Transfer’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. Energy Transfer’s dividend payout ratio is currently 94.85%.

Institutional Trading of Energy Transfer

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. FMR LLC increased its stake in shares of Energy Transfer by 15.7% during the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 38,634,018 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $756,840,000 after purchasing an additional 5,254,721 shares in the last quarter. Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Energy Transfer by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP now owns 23,987,750 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $469,920,000 after buying an additional 1,723,683 shares in the last quarter. Chickasaw Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Energy Transfer by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Chickasaw Capital Management LLC now owns 15,738,594 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $308,319,000 after acquiring an additional 388,073 shares during the last quarter. Natixis increased its holdings in shares of Energy Transfer by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Natixis now owns 14,619,124 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $286,389,000 after buying an additional 962,800 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brookfield Corp ON increased its holdings in shares of Energy Transfer by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Brookfield Corp ON now owns 13,139,924 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $210,896,000 after buying an additional 352,625 shares during the last quarter. 38.22% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Energy Transfer Company Profile

Energy Transfer LP provides energy-related services. The company owns and operates natural gas transportation pipeline, and natural gas storage facilities in Texas and Oklahoma; and approximately 20,090 miles of interstate natural gas pipeline. It also sells natural gas to electric utilities, independent power plants, local distribution and other marketing companies, and industrial end-users.