Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) have been given an average recommendation of “Buy” by the eighteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $87.2857.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Xcel Energy from $84.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Xcel Energy from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. BTIG Research raised shares of Xcel Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Xcel Energy in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. They issued a “moderate buy” rating on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $90.00 to $87.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 11th.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

XEL stock opened at $74.68 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $44.18 billion, a PE ratio of 22.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.46. Xcel Energy has a 12 month low of $62.58 and a 12 month high of $83.01. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $77.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $75.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.08). Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.45% and a net margin of 13.46%.The firm had revenue of $3.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.89 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.25 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy will post 3.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Xcel Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 29th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 29th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 69.51%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of XEL. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. ORG Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 168.4% during the third quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 314 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 197 shares during the period. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Clearstead Trust LLC raised its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 202.2% in the second quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 417 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 279 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy in the third quarter worth about $32,000. Institutional investors own 78.38% of the company’s stock.

Xcel Energy Company Profile

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) is a Minneapolis-based, publicly traded utility holding company that develops, owns and operates regulated electricity and natural gas delivery systems. The company’s core activities include generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, the delivery of natural gas to customers, and related customer service operations. Xcel provides a mix of utility services to residential, commercial and industrial customers and participates in wholesale energy markets where appropriate.

Its generation portfolio combines nuclear, natural gas, coal and a growing share of renewable resources such as wind and solar.