UBS Group Increases Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) Price Target to $67.00

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) had its price objective hoisted by research analysts at UBS Group from $66.00 to $67.00 in a research report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. UBS Group’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 4.18% from the stock’s previous close.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Argus upgraded shares of Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $68.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 26th. KeyCorp increased their target price on Xcel Energy from $65.00 to $66.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Xcel Energy from $62.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Xcel Energy from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Xcel Energy in a research note on Thursday. They set a “hold” rating and a $70.00 target price on the stock. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Xcel Energy presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $63.79.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

XEL stock traded up $0.25 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $64.31. The stock had a trading volume of 1,325,805 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,258,809. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.97. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $59.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $55.76. The stock has a market cap of $35.73 billion, a PE ratio of 19.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.38. Xcel Energy has a 52-week low of $46.79 and a 52-week high of $64.95.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.57 by ($0.03). Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.94% and a net margin of 13.46%. The company had revenue of $3.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.29 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.52 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Xcel Energy will post 3.55 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in XEL. Heritage Wealth Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Tidemark LLC purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Xcel Energy during the second quarter worth about $30,000. American National Bank purchased a new position in Xcel Energy in the second quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 78.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, purchasing, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. It operates through Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility, and All Other segments. The company generates electricity through wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, biomass, and solar energy sources, as well as coal, natural gas, oil, wood, and refuse-derived fuels.