Denali Advisors LLC Buys Shares of 112,551 SM Energy (NYSE:SM)

Denali Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of SM Energy (NYSE:SM) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 112,551 shares of the energy company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,362,000. Denali Advisors LLC owned about 0.10% of SM Energy at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of SM. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in SM Energy in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 3,434.5% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,025 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 996 shares during the period. Millburn Ridgefield Corp acquired a new stake in shares of SM Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $55,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of SM Energy by 3,897.2% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 1,439 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 1,403 shares in the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in SM Energy during the fourth quarter worth $61,000. 94.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

SM Energy Price Performance

SM stock opened at $33.06 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $39.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $41.68. The firm has a market cap of $3.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.95 and a beta of 4.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 3.52 and a current ratio of 0.55. SM Energy has a 1 year low of $32.96 and a 1 year high of $53.26.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The energy company reported $1.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.00 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $852.22 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $849.44 million. SM Energy had a net margin of 28.63% and a return on equity of 19.82%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that SM Energy will post 8.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

SM Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 24th were paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 24th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.42%. SM Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 11.98%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on SM. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on SM Energy from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of SM Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating and set a $53.00 target price (up from $51.00) on shares of SM Energy in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $57.00 target price on shares of SM Energy in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Susquehanna decreased their price target on SM Energy from $48.00 to $46.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $51.90.

SM Energy Company Profile

SM Energy Company, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, gas, and natural gas liquids in the state of Texas. It has working interests in oil and gas producing wells in the Midland Basin and South Texas. The company was formerly known as St.