Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Position Trimmed by First Dallas Securities Inc.

First Dallas Securities Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 6.1% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 26,090 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,695 shares during the period. First Dallas Securities Inc.’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $1,762,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in Xcel Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. MCF Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Xcel Energy by 566.3% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 593 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares during the last quarter. Finally, West Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Xcel Energy in the third quarter valued at $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $71.00 to $76.00 in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Xcel Energy from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $70.00 to $72.00 in a report on Monday, January 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Xcel Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the company from $69.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Barclays decreased their price objective 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, January 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $72.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Xcel Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $69.64.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

Shares of XEL stock opened at $67.75 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.43. Xcel Energy Inc. has a twelve month low of $46.79 and a twelve month high of $73.38. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $67.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $64.61.

Xcel Energy Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 29th. Investors of record on Monday, January 6th were issued a dividend of $0.5475 per share. This represents a $2.19 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, January 6th. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 64.99%.

About Xcel Energy

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.