MGE Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:MGEE) Stock Position Raised by Royce & Associates LP

Royce & Associates LP increased its position in MGE Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:MGEE) by 39.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 16,281 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,613 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP’s holdings in MGE Energy were worth $1,530,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of MGE Energy by 367.1% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 327 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares in the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. lifted its stake in MGE Energy by 88.9% in the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 357 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in MGE Energy by 507.7% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,112 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $105,000 after acquiring an additional 929 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV boosted its position in MGE Energy by 32.2% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,478 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $139,000 after acquiring an additional 360 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in MGE Energy by 7,321.7% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,707 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $160,000 after acquiring an additional 1,684 shares in the last quarter. 52.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MGE Energy Stock Performance

Shares of MGEE stock opened at $92.56 on Friday. MGE Energy, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $72.27 and a fifty-two week high of $109.22. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $90.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $93.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The firm has a market cap of $3.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.31 and a beta of 0.72.

MGE Energy (NASDAQ:MGEE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The utilities provider reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.84 by ($0.23). The firm had revenue of $171.42 million during the quarter. MGE Energy had a net margin of 17.70% and a return on equity of 10.18%. Analysts predict that MGE Energy, Inc. will post 3.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MGE Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, March 1st were issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.94%. MGE Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 54.05%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MGEE has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of MGE Energy from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised shares of MGE Energy to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday.

Insider Activity

In other MGE Energy news, Director James G. Berbee bought 446 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $90.83 per share, with a total value of $40,510.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,047,451.56. This represents a 4.02 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.19% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About MGE Energy

MGE Energy, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a public utility holding company primarily in the United States. It operates through Regulated Electric Utility Operations; Regulated Gas Utility Operations; Nonregulated Energy Operations; Transmission Investments; and All Other segments. The company generates, purchases, and distributes electricity and natural gas in Wisconsin and Iowa; owns and leases electric generating capacity; and plans, constructs, operates, maintains, and expands transmission facilities to provide transmission power services.