Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Stock Holdings Lifted by SouthState Corp

SouthState Corp raised its position in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 5.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,382 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. SouthState Corp’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $296,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Xcel Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Fairway Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. MCF Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Xcel Energy by 566.3% in the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 593 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Financial Corp IN acquired a new position in Xcel Energy during the fourth quarter worth $46,000. 78.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

NASDAQ:XEL opened at $69.96 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.82. Xcel Energy Inc. has a one year low of $51.37 and a one year high of $73.38. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $67.85 and a 200 day moving average price of $66.86. The stock has a market cap of $40.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.34, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last announced 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 net margin of 14.40% and a return on equity of 10.65%. Analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $69.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $72.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Barclays lowered their price target on Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $71.10.

Insider Activity

In other Xcel Energy news, Director Devin W. Stockfish bought 2,170 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $68.93 per share, for a total transaction of $149,578.10. Following the transaction, the director now owns 3,007 shares in the company, valued at approximately $207,272.51. The trade was a 259.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Xcel Energy

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.