Mizuho Has Lowered Expectations for Sempra (NYSE:SRE) Stock Price

Sempra (NYSE:SRE) had its price target lowered by investment analysts at Mizuho from $92.00 to $76.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “outperform” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. Mizuho’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 5.57% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also commented on SRE. Barclays decreased their target price on Sempra from $99.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Sempra from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $99.00 to $76.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Sempra from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Sempra from $96.00 to $88.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Sempra from $100.00 to $85.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.54.

Sempra Stock Performance

NYSE:SRE opened at $71.99 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $83.43 and a two-hundred day moving average of $84.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.47. The stock has a market cap of $45.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.86, a PEG ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.78. Sempra has a 1-year low of $64.89 and a 1-year high of $95.77.

Sempra (NYSE:SRE) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The utilities provider reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.03. Sempra had a net margin of 22.63% and a return on equity of 8.06%. The company had revenue of $3.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.73 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.13 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Sempra will post 4.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Sempra

In related news, SVP Alexander Lisa Larroque sold 2,755 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.93, for a total value of $225,717.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 13,905 shares in the company, valued at $1,139,236.65. This represents a 16.54 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 49,737 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.94, for a total transaction of $4,125,186.78. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 2 shares in the company, valued at approximately $165.88. The trade was a 100.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.24% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sempra

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Sempra in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Sempra in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Synergy Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Sempra in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. TCTC Holdings LLC boosted its position in shares of Sempra by 265.2% during the 4th quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 336 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 244 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Sempra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. 89.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Sempra Company Profile

Sempra operates as an energy infrastructure company in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Sempra California, Sempra Texas Utilities, and Sempra Infrastructure. The Sempra California segment provides electric services; and natural gas services to San Diego County.