Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) Sees Large Drop in Short Interest

Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 25,245,915 shares, a drop of 22.1% from the December 15th total of 32,389,484 shares. Approximately 4.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 6,808,550 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.7 days. Based on an average trading volume of 6,808,550 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.7 days. Approximately 4.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on XEL shares. Cowen began coverage on Xcel Energy in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Xcel Energy from $84.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Argus upgraded Xcel Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Barclays reduced their target price on Xcel Energy from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Finally, BTIG Research upgraded Xcel Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $87.00.

Xcel Energy Trading Up 0.3%

NASDAQ XEL traded up $0.25 during trading on Friday, hitting $75.61. The stock had a trading volume of 7,378,081 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,881,221. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. The company has a market capitalization of $44.73 billion, a PE ratio of 23.05, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.46. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $76.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $75.51. Xcel Energy has a twelve month low of $65.21 and a twelve month high of $83.01.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.08). Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.45% and a net margin of 13.46%.The business had revenue of $3.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.89 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.25 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Xcel Energy will post 3.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Xcel Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 29th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 29th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 69.51%.

Institutional Trading of Xcel Energy

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of XEL. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Xcel Energy in the second quarter valued at $25,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 168.4% in the 3rd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 314 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 197 shares during the period. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Abound Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of Xcel Energy by 394.5% during the fourth quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 361 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 288 shares during the period. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC raised its holdings in Xcel Energy by 202.2% in the second quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 417 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 279 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.38% of the company’s stock.

Xcel Energy Company Profile

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) is a Minneapolis-based, publicly traded utility holding company that develops, owns and operates regulated electricity and natural gas delivery systems. The company’s core activities include generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, the delivery of natural gas to customers, and related customer service operations. Xcel provides a mix of utility services to residential, commercial and industrial customers and participates in wholesale energy markets where appropriate.

Its generation portfolio combines nuclear, natural gas, coal and a growing share of renewable resources such as wind and solar.