Shell (NYSE:SHEL) Reaches New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Shell PLC Unsponsored ADR (NYSE:SHEL) hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $85.41 and last traded at $85.23, with a volume of 2447265 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $84.70.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on SHEL shares. UBS Group cut Shell from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Shell from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America lowered shares of Shell from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Shell from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Shell in a report on Thursday, January 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $81.33.

Shell Stock Up 1.8%

The stock has a 50-day moving average of $76.78 and a 200 day moving average of $74.51. The company has a market capitalization of $245.26 billion, a PE ratio of 14.38, a P/E/G ratio of 6.15 and a beta of 0.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Shell (NYSE:SHEL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The energy company reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by ($0.64). The business had revenue of $64.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $65.82 billion. Shell had a net margin of 6.52% and a return on equity of 10.34%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Shell PLC Unsponsored ADR will post 7.67 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Shell

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Shell during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Shell during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Shell in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT raised its stake in Shell by 186.7% in the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 473 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 308 shares during the period. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in Shell during the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Institutional investors own 28.60% of the company’s stock.

About Shell

Shell plc (NYSE: SHEL) is a global integrated energy company that operates across the full oil and gas value chain as well as in developing lower-carbon energy solutions. The company traces its roots to the early 20th century merger of Royal Dutch Petroleum and Shell Transport and Trading, and today it is organized to explore for and produce hydrocarbons, process and refine them, manufacture petrochemicals, and market fuel, lubricants and related products under the Shell brand around the world.

Shell’s principal activities include upstream exploration and production of oil and natural gas, integrated gas operations including liquefied natural gas (LNG), and downstream refining, supply and marketing.