Diversified Energy (NYSE:DEC) Shares Down 4.2% – Time to Sell?

Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE:DEC) traded down 4.2% on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $17.47 and last traded at $17.53. 1,156,419 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 16% from the average session volume of 997,484 shares. The stock had previously closed at $18.30.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Johnson Rice raised Diversified Energy from an “accumulate” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $19.00 to $23.00 in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Diversified Energy from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Diversified Energy from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Truist Financial assumed coverage on shares of Diversified Energy in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 target price for the company. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Diversified Energy from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.20.

Diversified Energy Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $1.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.87 and a beta of 0.46. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $14.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $14.05. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.73.

Diversified Energy (NYSE:DEC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter. Sell-side analysts predict that Diversified Energy Company PLC will post 0.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Diversified Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 29th will be issued a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 29th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.7%. Diversified Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 78.91%.

Insider Transactions at Diversified Energy

In other Diversified Energy news, Director Randall S. Wade sold 2,100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.28, for a total value of $27,888,000.00. Following the completion of 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Diversified Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in DEC. Quarry LP grew its position in shares of Diversified Energy by 1,595.2% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,119 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,994 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Diversified Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc bought a new position in Diversified Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in Diversified Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in Diversified Energy by 261.3% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,069 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 3,666 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.51% of the company’s stock.

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.