MCF Advisors LLC Increases Position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

MCF Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 566.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 593 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 504 shares during the period. MCF Advisors LLC’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $40,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of XEL. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC bought a new position in Xcel Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Kimelman & Baird LLC acquired a new position in Xcel Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. West Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, First Financial Corp IN acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.38% of the company’s stock.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ XEL opened at $66.98 on Thursday. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 12-month low of $46.79 and a 12-month high of $73.38. The company has a market cap of $38.46 billion, a PE ratio of 19.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.42. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $68.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $63.86. 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 (NASDAQ:XEL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.26 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $3.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.93 billion. Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.76% and a net margin of 13.67%. The company’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.54 EPS for the current year.

Xcel Energy Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, January 6th will be given a dividend of $0.5475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 6th. This represents a $2.19 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.27%. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 64.99%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

XEL has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Xcel Energy from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Monday, January 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $69.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $72.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $69.50.

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.