Trust Co. of Vermont Boosts Stock Position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

Trust Co. of Vermont boosted its position in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 36.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,476 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 395 shares during the quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $100,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the third quarter worth $33,000. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. West Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. Finally, First Financial Corp IN purchased a new position in Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter worth $46,000. 78.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Xcel Energy Stock Up 0.8 %

Xcel Energy stock opened at $66.72 on Monday. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 52 week low of $46.79 and a 52 week high of $73.38. The firm has a market cap of $38.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.42. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $68.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $63.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.26 by ($0.01). Xcel Energy had a net margin of 13.67% and a return on equity of 10.76%. The firm had revenue of $3.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.93 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.23 earnings per share. Xcel Energy’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Xcel Energy Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, January 6th will be given a $0.5475 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 6th. This represents a $2.19 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.28%. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 64.99%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on XEL shares. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $71.00 to $76.00 in a research note on Friday, November 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of 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 note on Thursday, December 12th. KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $67.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised Xcel Energy from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their target price for the company from $70.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $69.67.

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.