SM Energy (NYSE:SM) Price Target Raised to $48.00

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) had its target price boosted by UBS Group from $36.00 to $48.00 in a report released on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the energy company’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on SM. Susquehanna raised their target price on shares of SM Energy from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Stephens cut their price target on SM Energy from $61.00 to $52.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Roth Capital raised SM Energy from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $30.00 to $32.00 in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on SM Energy in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. They set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research lowered SM Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $39.38.

SM Energy Trading Down 7.6%

Shares of SM Energy stock opened at $38.15 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.62. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $33.93 and a 200-day moving average of $30.89. SM Energy has a 52-week low of $17.45 and a 52-week high of $41.56. The stock has a market cap of $9.07 billion, a PE ratio of 7.51 and a beta of 0.75.

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The energy company reported $2.19 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.23. SM Energy had a net margin of 18.20% and a return on equity of 17.93%. The business had revenue of $2.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.02 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.50 earnings per share. SM Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 215.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that SM Energy will post 7.48 EPS for the current year.

SM Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 7th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 4th. SM Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.32%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP James Barker Lebeck sold 17,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.02, for a total transaction of $647,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 14,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $544,379.10. This represents a 54.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ashwin Venkatraman sold 3,650 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.28, for a total transaction of $139,722.00. Following the sale, the director owned 12,525 shares in the company, valued at $479,457. This represents a 22.57% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.45% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SM Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SM. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 135.8% in the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 57,623 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $1,504,000 after purchasing an additional 33,181 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 19.7% during the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 18,189 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $475,000 after buying an additional 2,989 shares in the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP acquired a new position in shares of SM Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $1,489,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new position in shares of SM Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $70,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of SM Energy by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 18,006 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $470,000 after buying an additional 315 shares during the last quarter. 94.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

SM Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: An analyst upgrade helped drive SM Energy to a new 52-week high, signaling improving Wall Street sentiment. SM Energy Sets New 52-Week High Following Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: UBS indicated that SM Energy’s stock price could rise, adding to the positive analyst outlook. SM Energy Stock Price Expected to Rise, UBS Group Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: A separate analyst raised the price target to $46 while maintaining a positive rating. Stronger crude prices, higher production expectations, robust cash generation, debt reduction, and progress toward merger synergies further supported investor sentiment. SM Energy gains as analyst target hike and stronger crude prices lift sentiment
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks classified SM Energy as a highly ranked growth stock, which may attract growth-oriented investors. SM Energy is a Top-Ranked Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: The broader energy-sector rally and higher oil prices have been important short-term drivers, leaving SM Energy’s near-term performance dependent on commodity-market conditions. SM Energy Jumps Amid Sector-Wide Rally
• Negative Sentiment: After the sharp advance and new 52-week high, investors may be taking profits, which can pressure the shares even though analyst commentary remains favorable.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity included three open-market sales and no purchases, a modest cautionary signal for investors assessing valuation after the rally.

SM Energy Company Profile

SM Energy Company (NYSE: SM) is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development and production of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its operations focus on acquiring and developing oil and gas properties and producing hydrocarbons from onshore assets in the United States.

The company’s principal operations are concentrated in the Permian Basin of West Texas and the South Texas region. SM Energy has also expanded its U.S. operating portfolio through acquisitions, including assets in Utah’s Uinta Basin.