Diversified Energy (NYSE:DEC) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE:DEC) shares gapped down before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $16.20, but opened at $15.48. Diversified Energy shares last traded at $16.0840, with a volume of 289,767 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

DEC has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Mizuho upped their target price on Diversified Energy from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Diversified Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, January 19th. Truist Financial began coverage on shares of Diversified Energy in a report on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Diversified Energy from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Diversified Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.20.

Diversified Energy Stock Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $13.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $13.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.73, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The company has a market capitalization of $1.27 billion, a PE ratio of 11.32 and a beta of 0.46.

Diversified Energy (NYSE:DEC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $2.28 EPS for the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Diversified Energy Company PLC will post 0.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Diversified Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.0%. Diversified Energy’s payout ratio is presently 78.91%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Diversified Energy news, Director Randall S. Wade sold 2,100,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.28, for a total value of $27,888,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 7,501,585 shares in the company, valued at approximately $99,621,048.80. This represents a 21.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Diversified Energy

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Quarry LP grew its stake in shares of Diversified Energy by 1,595.2% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,119 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 1,994 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Diversified Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc purchased a new position in Diversified Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new stake in Diversified Energy in the third quarter worth $47,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in shares of Diversified Energy by 261.3% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,069 shares of the company’s stock worth $74,000 after acquiring an additional 3,666 shares during the last quarter. 26.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Diversified Energy

Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE: DEC) is an independent oil and natural gas producer focused on the acquisition and optimization of legacy onshore assets in the United States. The company’s portfolio spans thousands of producing wells and extensive leasehold positions across core regions such as Appalachia, the Permian Basin and the Mid-Continent. By targeting mature properties, Diversified Energy seeks to enhance long-term recovery through operational efficiencies and capital discipline.

The company’s business model centers on fee-based infrastructure and midstream services that provide stable and predictable cash flows.