Sentry Investment Management LLC Takes Position in Xcel Energy Inc. $XEL

Sentry Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 1,729 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $117,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Accent Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. BankPlus Trust Department bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 1st quarter valued at about $34,000. Rise Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 62.9% in the 2nd quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 518 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Marshall & Sullivan Inc. WA bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, RMG Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Xcel Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $46,000. Institutional investors own 78.38% of the company’s stock.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

Shares of Xcel Energy stock opened at $81.16 on Monday. Xcel Energy Inc. has a twelve month low of $62.58 and a twelve month high of $83.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $75.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $71.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.37.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.09. Xcel Energy had a net margin of 14.85% and a return on equity of 10.52%. The business had revenue of $3.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.31 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.54 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. Xcel Energy has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.750-3.850 EPS. Analysts forecast that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.82 EPS for the current year.

Xcel Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Xcel Energy’s payout ratio is 63.16%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $82.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 29th. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Xcel Energy in a research note on Thursday. They set a “buy” rating and a $93.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Xcel Energy in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $84.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Xcel Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.92.

Xcel Energy Profile

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.