NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the seven research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $102.71.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of NRG Energy from $84.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on NRG Energy from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on NRG Energy from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Jefferies Financial Group raised NRG Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the company from $93.00 to $113.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their price target on NRG Energy from $77.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th.

Insider Activity at NRG Energy

In other NRG Energy news, VP Robert J. Gaudette sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.41, for a total value of $5,484,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 64,448 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,891,191.68. This represents a 48.21 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.86% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NRG Energy

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in NRG Energy during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Covestor Ltd grew its position in shares of NRG Energy by 74.7% during the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 325 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of NRG Energy during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt bought a new stake in shares of NRG Energy in the third quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of NRG Energy in the third quarter worth about $43,000. Institutional investors own 97.72% of the company’s stock.

NRG Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE NRG opened at $98.60 on Thursday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $94.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $86.37. NRG Energy has a 52-week low of $50.23 and a 52-week high of $103.14. The company has a market cap of $19.97 billion, a PE ratio of 24.77, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.57.

NRG Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 1st were given a dividend of $0.4075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 1st. This represents a $1.63 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.65%. NRG Energy’s payout ratio is currently 40.95%.

About NRG Energy

NRG Energy, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy and home services company in the United States and Canada. It operates through Texas; East; West/Services/Other; Vivint Smart Home; and Corporate Activities segments. The company produces and sells electricity generated using coal, oil, solar, and battery storage; natural gas; and a cloud-based home platform, including hardware, software, sales, installation, customer service, technical support, and professional monitoring solutions.