Spire (NYSE:SR – Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Company to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.
Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. TD Cowen started coverage on Spire in a report on Thursday, April 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $101.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Spire from $81.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $102.00 price target on shares of Spire in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. UBS Group cut their price target on Spire from $106.00 to $103.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Spire from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.50.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on SR
Spire Price Performance
Spire (NYSE:SR – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $3.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.72 by $0.04. Spire had a return on equity of 9.49% and a net margin of 13.97%.The firm had revenue of $1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.60 EPS. Spire’s revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Spire will post 5.18 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Activity at Spire
In other Spire news, Director Paul D. Koonce acquired 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $85.81 per share, for a total transaction of $171,620.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 7,000 shares in the company, valued at $600,670. The trade was a 40.00% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.26% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Community Bank N.A. purchased a new position in shares of Spire in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Spire in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Optima Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Spire in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Spire in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Spire by 186.8% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 370 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 241 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.36% of the company’s stock.
Spire Company Profile
Spire Inc (NYSE: SR), formerly known as The Laclede Group, is a regulated natural gas distribution company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Through its three operating divisions—Spire Missouri, Spire Alabama and Spire Mississippi—the company delivers natural gas to more than 1.7 million residential, commercial and industrial customers. Spire’s service territory spans key markets in the central and southern United States, including metropolitan St. Louis, central Alabama and central Mississippi.
Founded in 1857 as the Laclede Gas Light Company, the business has grown through strategic acquisitions, notably Alabama Gas Corporation in 2013 and Mississippi Gas in 2016.
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