UBS Group AG Grows Position in Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. $SPH

UBS Group AG boosted its stake in Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (NYSE:SPH) by 32.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 466,798 shares of the energy company’s stock after buying an additional 113,396 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned approximately 0.71% of Suburban Propane Partners worth $8,654,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Founders Capital Management raised its position in Suburban Propane Partners by 56.4% in the 3rd quarter. Founders Capital Management now owns 1,877 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 677 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Suburban Propane Partners in the 3rd quarter valued at $50,000. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Suburban Propane Partners during the 3rd quarter valued at $62,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Suburban Propane Partners during the 3rd quarter valued at $76,000. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its position in shares of Suburban Propane Partners by 91.5% during the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 4,440 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 2,121 shares during the last quarter. 30.94% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on SPH. Zacks Research raised Suburban Propane Partners from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Argus raised Suburban Propane Partners to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Suburban Propane Partners from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has given a Buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy”.

Suburban Propane Partners Stock Up 0.3%

SPH stock opened at $20.05 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 1.08. The company has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.08 and a beta of 0.42. Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. has a fifty-two week low of $17.30 and a fifty-two week high of $20.80. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $19.87 and a 200-day moving average of $19.48.

Suburban Propane Partners (NYSE:SPH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The energy company reported $2.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.74 by $0.32. The firm had revenue of $551.21 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $575.00 million. Suburban Propane Partners had a net margin of 9.57% and a return on equity of 19.45%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. will post 1.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Suburban Propane Partners Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 5th were paid a dividend of $0.325 per share. This represents a $1.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 5th. Suburban Propane Partners’s dividend payout ratio is presently 65.33%.

About Suburban Propane Partners

Suburban Propane Partners L.P. (NYSE: SPH) is a publicly traded master limited partnership headquartered in Whippany, New Jersey, that provides propane and related energy services to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers. As one of the largest propane retailers in the United States, the company delivers propane gas, heating oil, diesel fuel and natural gas throughout its service territories. In addition to fuel distribution, Suburban Propane offers HVAC installation, maintenance and repair services, as well as safety inspections and equipment leasing to support customers’ energy needs.

The company’s core business centers on the delivery of propane for space and water heating, cooking and agricultural applications.