FourThought Financial Partners LLC Takes Position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

FourThought Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 5,594 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $378,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AMF Tjanstepension AB raised its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 185.2% in the third quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB now owns 34,960 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,283,000 after purchasing an additional 22,701 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Xcel Energy by 7,432.5% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 506,488 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,074,000 after buying an additional 499,764 shares in the last quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC purchased a new position in Xcel Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $206,000. Arkadios Wealth Advisors raised its position in Xcel Energy by 33.7% in the 3rd quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 9,501 shares of the company’s stock worth $620,000 after buying an additional 2,394 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue lifted its stake in Xcel Energy by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 64,815 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,232,000 after acquiring an additional 4,395 shares during the period. 78.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Xcel Energy Stock Down 0.5 %

XEL stock opened at $70.45 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $67.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.91. The stock has a market cap of $40.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.48, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. Xcel Energy Inc. has a twelve month low of $46.79 and a twelve month high of $73.38.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by ($0.06). Xcel Energy had a net margin of 14.40% and a return on equity of 10.65%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Xcel Energy Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, January 6th were paid a $0.5475 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, January 6th. This represents a $2.19 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.11%. Xcel Energy’s payout ratio is presently 63.66%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on XEL shares. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $71.00 to $76.00 in a research note on Friday, November 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $69.00 to $80.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Xcel Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $69.91.

About Xcel Energy

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.