KeyCorp Analysts Boost Earnings Estimates for Expand Energy

Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE) – KeyCorp lifted their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Expand Energy in a research report issued on Wednesday, April 1st. KeyCorp analyst T. Rezvan now forecasts that the company will earn $4.14 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $2.24. KeyCorp currently has a “Sector Weight” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Expand Energy’s current full-year earnings is $1.33 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Expand Energy’s Q4 2026 earnings at $2.98 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $10.51 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.82 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.10 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.14 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.97 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $10.02 EPS.

Expand Energy (NASDAQ:EXE) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The company reported $2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.11. Expand Energy had a return on equity of 8.17% and a net margin of 15.00%.The business had revenue of $3.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.28 billion.

A number of other research firms have also commented on EXE. Citigroup increased their price target on Expand Energy from $118.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. UBS Group decreased their price target on Expand Energy from $150.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Truist Financial assumed coverage on Expand Energy in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $136.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company set a $123.00 price target on Expand Energy in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on Expand Energy from $136.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.48.

Expand Energy Price Performance

Shares of EXE traded down $0.76 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $102.79. The company had a trading volume of 1,255,541 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,946,684. The company has a market capitalization of $24.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.63 and a beta of 0.47. Expand Energy has a twelve month low of $91.01 and a twelve month high of $126.62. The company’s 50-day moving average is $106.95 and its 200-day moving average is $108.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.01 and a quick ratio of 1.01.

Expand Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 5th were given a $0.575 dividend. This represents a $2.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 5th. Expand Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.50%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Michael Wichterich acquired 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $107.50 per share, for a total transaction of $215,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 83,498 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,976,035. This represents a 2.45% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of EXE. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp boosted its position in Expand Energy by 74.6% in the 4th quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 234 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its position in shares of Expand Energy by 350.9% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 248 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. bought a new position in shares of Expand Energy in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. ESL Trust Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Expand Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Abound Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of Expand Energy by 890.0% in the 4th quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 297 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the last quarter. 97.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Expand Energy

Here are the key news stories impacting Expand Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised its FY2026 EPS estimate materially (to $10.51), reflecting stronger near‑term outlook for 2026 that could support earnings in the coming quarters.
• Positive Sentiment: Citi reaffirmed its Buy rating on Expand Energy, a bullish signal from a major bank that can attract some investor interest. Citi Reaffirms Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate development — Expand appointed Marcel Teunissen as Chief Financial Officer effective April 6. New CFOs can be positive long term, but the immediate market impact is typically muted until execution is demonstrated. CFO Appointment
• Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp cut multiple 2027 quarterly EPS forecasts (Q1–Q4 2027 and individual quarter downgrades) and trimmed FY2027 to $10.02 (from $11.02), signaling weaker expected 2027 profitability and reducing forward guidance visibility; KeyCorp still carries a “Sector Weight” rating.
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity: investors bought ~10,834 put options (about +69% vs. average daily put volume), indicating increased hedging or bearish positioning that can amplify downward pressure on the share price.

Expand Energy Company Profile

Expand Energy Corporation is an independent natural gas producer principally in the United States. Expand Energy Corporation, formerly known as Chesapeake Energy Corporation, is based in OKLAHOMA CITY.