Shell (NYSE:SHEL) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Shell (NYSE:SHEL) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Tuesday,Zacks reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Shell from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Shell from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley set a $101.30 price target on Shell and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Shell in a research note on Monday. Finally, HSBC reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Shell in a research note on Friday, September 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $106.08.

Shell Stock Performance

NYSE:SHEL opened at $100.19 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $280.90 billion, a PE ratio of 11.06, a P/E/G ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 0.10. Shell has a fifty-two week low of $68.63 and a fifty-two week high of $100.60. The company has a fifty day moving average of $93.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $88.76.

Shell (NYSE:SHEL) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The energy company reported $3.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.23 by $0.29. Shell had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 14.34%. The business had revenue of $94.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $86.22 billion. As a group, research analysts forecast that Shell will post 11.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Shell

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SHEL. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Shell by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. now owns 17,771 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $1,689,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Vista Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Shell by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vista Investment Partners LLC now owns 5,651 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $537,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. PFG Private Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Shell by 3.8% during the second quarter. PFG Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,578 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $277,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Financial Management Professionals Inc. lifted its position in shares of Shell by 2.9% during the second quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 4,800 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $372,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Plan A Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Shell by 1.7% in the second quarter. Plan A Wealth LLC now owns 8,619 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $668,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 28.60% of the company’s stock.

More Shell News

Here are the key news stories impacting Shell this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Refining and gas outlook strengthens: Shell expects its third-quarter indicative refining margin to rise to approximately $42 per barrel from $24 in the second quarter, while integrated-gas production is forecast at 740,000–780,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, well above the prior outlook. The gains reflect favorable energy-market conditions and the contribution from the ARC Resources acquisition. Shell flags stronger refining margins as third-quarter gas output rises
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see earnings upside: RBC lowered its third-quarter adjusted-profit estimate modestly to $11.5 billion but kept it above the $9.5 billion consensus and raised its cash-flow estimate. Zacks also upgraded SHEL from “Hold” to “Strong Buy,” adding further positive momentum. RBC trims Shell profit forecast but raises cash flow estimate after trading update Zacks Research Upgrades Shell to Strong-Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Qatar facility partially restarts: Shell has restarted part of its Pearl gas-to-liquids plant to test production facilities, a step toward restoring operations and potential future production capacity. Shell partially restarts Pearl gas-to-liquids plant in Qatar
• Neutral Sentiment: Shell executive recognition and inclusion in stock-screening lists may support investor sentiment, but these developments have limited direct impact on earnings or valuation. Shell executive honoured as CMA Commodore
• Negative Sentiment: Lower LNG volumes and upstream write-offs remain risks to the quarter, while the chemicals margin is expected to decline to $208 per tonne from $270. Tropical Storm Isaias is also forcing temporary Gulf of Mexico output curtailments, creating a near-term operational disruption. Shell and Chevron cut Gulf of Mexico output as Tropical Storm Isaias approaches

Shell Company Profile

Shell plc is a global energy company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its operations span the exploration, production, processing, transportation and marketing of oil and natural gas, with an increasing focus on liquefied natural gas (LNG), lower-carbon energy and energy-transition solutions.

The company supplies fuels, lubricants, chemicals and other energy products to businesses, transportation customers and consumers. Shell also operates a network of retail service stations and provides charging services for electric vehicles, renewable power and related energy solutions.