Enerplus (NYSE:ERF) Coverage Initiated at StockNews.com

StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Enerplus (NYSE:ERF) (TSE:ERF) in a report issued on Monday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the oil and natural gas company’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on ERF. National Bankshares dropped their price target on shares of Enerplus from $25.00 to $21.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 10th. CIBC reduced their price target on shares of Enerplus from $23.00 to $19.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Finally, TD Securities reiterated a tender rating and issued a $18.85 price target (down previously from $21.00) on shares of Enerplus in a report on Thursday, February 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $21.69.

Enerplus Price Performance

NYSE:ERF opened at $20.44 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $18.80 and a 200-day moving average of $16.74. The company has a market capitalization of $4.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.72 and a beta of 1.99. Enerplus has a 52 week low of $13.46 and a 52 week high of $20.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80.

Enerplus (NYSE:ERF) (TSE:ERF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The oil and natural gas company reported $0.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $437.10 million during the quarter. Enerplus had a net margin of 27.67% and a return on equity of 40.36%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Enerplus will post 2.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Enerplus Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 4th were paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.54%. This is an increase from Enerplus’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 1st. Enerplus’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.38%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Enerplus

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of ERF. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Enerplus in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its position in shares of Enerplus by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 13,647 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $241,000 after buying an additional 1,057 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Enerplus by 8.9% during the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 23,616 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $416,000 after buying an additional 1,923 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates grew its position in Enerplus by 1,314.7% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 257,590 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $4,541,000 after purchasing an additional 239,382 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its position in Enerplus by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 56,389 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $994,000 after purchasing an additional 2,216 shares during the period. 58.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Enerplus Company Profile

Enerplus Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, explores and develops crude oil and natural gas in the United States. Its oil and natural gas properties are located primarily in North Dakota, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.