AES (NYSE:AES) Reaches New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

The AES Co. (NYSE:AES) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $10.29 and last traded at $10.40, with a volume of 1588395 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.75.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on AES. Bank of America assumed coverage on AES in a report on Monday, November 25th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $11.00 target price on the stock. Susquehanna decreased their price objective on AES from $24.00 to $21.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of AES from $17.00 to $12.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 27th. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of AES from $24.00 to $16.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Hsbc Global Res raised shares of AES to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $18.80.

AES Stock Performance

The business’s fifty day moving average is $12.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $15.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.21. The company has a market capitalization of $7.17 billion, a PE ratio of 7.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.99.

AES Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 14th. Investors of record on Friday, January 31st will be issued a $0.176 dividend. This represents a $0.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.98%. This is an increase from AES’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.17. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 31st. AES’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.61%.

Institutional Trading of AES

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cromwell Holdings LLC grew its position in AES by 59.1% in the 3rd quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 1,723 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 640 shares during the period. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of AES by 3.2% in the third quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 26,301 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $528,000 after acquiring an additional 826 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in AES by 8.0% during the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 11,179 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $224,000 after acquiring an additional 830 shares during the last quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora lifted its holdings in AES by 1.0% in the third quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 84,624 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,698,000 after acquiring an additional 835 shares during the period. Finally, Live Oak Investment Partners boosted its position in AES by 3.9% in the third quarter. Live Oak Investment Partners now owns 29,241 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $587,000 after purchasing an additional 1,104 shares during the last quarter. 93.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AES Company Profile

The AES Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a diversified power generation and utility company in the United States and internationally. The company owns and/or operates power plants to generate and sell power to customers, such as utilities, industrial users, and other intermediaries; owns and/or operates utilities to generate or purchase, distribute, transmit, and sell electricity to end-user customers in the residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental sectors; and generates and sells electricity on the wholesale market.