Expand Energy (NASDAQ:EXE) Shares Up 5.3% – Should You Buy?

Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE)’s share price shot up 5.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $110.76 and last traded at $111.0790. Approximately 2,130,732 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 43% from the average daily volume of 3,714,461 shares. The stock had previously closed at $105.52.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

EXE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Expand Energy from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Expand Energy from $150.00 to $135.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Expand Energy from $125.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Expand Energy from $136.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, TD Cowen raised Expand Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $131.27.

Expand Energy Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $26.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.44 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.01 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The company’s 50-day moving average is $105.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $107.27.

Expand Energy (NASDAQ:EXE) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The company reported $2.00 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.11. Expand Energy had a net margin of 15.00% and a return on equity of 8.17%. The firm had revenue of $3.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.28 billion. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Expand Energy Corporation will post 1.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Expand Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 5th will be paid a $0.575 dividend. This represents a $2.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 5th. Expand Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.50%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Expand Energy news, CEO Michael Wichterich purchased 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The shares were bought at an average price of $107.50 per share, for a total transaction of $215,000.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 83,498 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,976,035. This trade represents a 2.45% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Expand Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. acquired a new position in Expand Energy during the first quarter worth about $2,599,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Expand Energy in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $208,000. Focus Partners Wealth bought a new stake in shares of Expand Energy during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $205,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Expand Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $79,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP increased its position in Expand Energy by 163.2% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,474 shares of the company’s stock worth $172,000 after purchasing an additional 914 shares in the last quarter. 97.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Expand Energy

Expand Energy Corporation is an independent natural gas producer principally in the United States. Expand Energy Corporation, formerly known as Chesapeake Energy Corporation, is based in OKLAHOMA CITY.