UBS Group Increases Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) Price Target to $73.00

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) had its price objective hoisted by analysts at UBS Group from $70.00 to $73.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. UBS Group’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 5.47% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on XEL. KeyCorp boosted their price objective 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. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $69.00 to $80.00 in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.30.

Xcel Energy Trading Down 1.2 %

Shares of Xcel Energy stock traded down $0.87 on Friday, hitting $69.22. 1,517,470 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,291,558. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $68.09 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. Xcel Energy has a 52 week low of $51.58 and a 52 week high of $73.38. The company has a market cap of $39.77 billion, a PE ratio of 20.14, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.06). Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.65% and a net margin of 14.40%. Equities research analysts predict that Xcel Energy will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Xcel Energy news, Director Devin W. Stockfish purchased 2,170 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $68.93 per share, with a total value of $149,578.10. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,007 shares in the company, valued at $207,272.51. This trade represents a 259.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Xcel Energy

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in XEL. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Xcel Energy by 4.9% in the third quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 124,967 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,160,000 after purchasing an additional 5,799 shares during the last quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in Xcel Energy by 9.6% in the third quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 75,673 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,944,000 after purchasing an additional 6,620 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC boosted its holdings in Xcel Energy by 4.8% in the third quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 7,393 shares of the company’s stock valued at $487,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc boosted its holdings in Xcel Energy by 7.9% in the third quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 12,974 shares of the company’s stock valued at $847,000 after purchasing an additional 946 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy in the third quarter valued at $462,000. 78.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Xcel Energy Company Profile

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.