SM Energy (NYSE:SM) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of SM Energy (NYSE:SM) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Tuesday.

SM has been the topic of a number of other reports. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of SM Energy from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of SM Energy from $42.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of SM Energy from $49.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 9th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of SM Energy from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, May 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of SM Energy from $45.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, SM Energy presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $54.57.

SM Energy Trading Up 0.9 %

SM opened at $49.26 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.48. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $49.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $42.81. SM Energy has a 1-year low of $25.84 and a 1-year high of $53.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.72 and a beta of 4.21.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The energy company reported $1.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.13. SM Energy had a net margin of 31.80% and a return on equity of 20.10%. The business had revenue of $559.87 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $568.21 million. Analysts expect that SM Energy will post 6.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

SM Energy Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 19th were given a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.46%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 18th. SM Energy’s payout ratio is 11.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling at SM Energy

In other SM Energy news, SVP Kenneth J. Knott sold 16,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.28, for a total value of $804,480.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 114,495 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,756,808.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SM Energy

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Boston Partners grew its stake in shares of SM Energy by 6.1% in the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 18,606 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $928,000 after acquiring an additional 1,065 shares in the last quarter. Atria Investments Inc acquired a new position in shares of SM Energy during the first quarter worth $1,096,000. Adams Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of SM Energy by 26.7% during the first quarter. Adams Wealth Management now owns 52,546 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $2,619,000 after purchasing an additional 11,077 shares in the last quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of SM Energy by 5.0% during the first quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 181,733 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $9,059,000 after purchasing an additional 8,653 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bayesian Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of SM Energy during the first quarter worth $368,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.56% of the company’s stock.

SM Energy Company Profile

SM Energy Company, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, gas, and natural gas liquids in the state of Texas. It has working interests in oil and gas producing wells in the Midland Basin and South Texas. The company was formerly known as St.