Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) Price Target Raised to $79.00 at KeyCorp

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) had its price target increased by equities researchers at KeyCorp from $74.00 to $79.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. KeyCorp’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 11.77% from the company’s previous close.

XEL has been the topic of several other reports. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $71.00 to $76.00 in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Argus upgraded shares of Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $68.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 26th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $67.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Morgan Stanley reduced 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Xcel Energy from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Xcel Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $67.00.

Xcel Energy Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ:XEL traded down $0.32 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $70.68. The stock had a trading volume of 198,407 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,120,326. The company has a market cap of $40.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.97, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.41. Xcel Energy has a 12 month low of $46.79 and a 12 month high of $73.38. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $66.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $60.62. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.26 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $3.64 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.93 billion. Xcel Energy had a net margin of 13.67% and a return on equity of 10.76%. Xcel Energy’s quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.23 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Xcel Energy will post 3.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Integris Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Xcel Energy by 2.7% during the third quarter. Integris Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,163 shares of the company’s stock worth $402,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Bond & Devick Financial Network Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 1.1% during the third quarter. Bond & Devick Financial Network Inc. now owns 15,972 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,043,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the period. LRI Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 3,037 shares of the company’s stock worth $209,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 4.3% in the 2nd quarter. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,413 shares of the company’s stock valued at $236,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the period. Finally, Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. increased its position in Xcel Energy by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 6,591 shares of the company’s stock valued at $430,000 after buying an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. 78.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.