Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) Hits New 12-Month High – Here’s What Happened

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE)’s share price reached a new 52-week high on Friday . The company traded as high as $95.74 and last traded at $95.1260, with a volume of 1533924 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $92.79.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently weighed in on SRE. BTIG Research raised shares of Sempra Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $112.00 price objective (down from $115.00) on shares of Sempra Energy in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. UBS Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $100.00 target price on shares of Sempra Energy in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Sempra Energy from $95.00 to $99.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $97.00 target price on shares of Sempra Energy and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.83.

Sempra Energy Trading Up 2.1%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The firm has a market cap of $61.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.74. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $88.41 and its 200 day simple moving average is $87.78.

Insider Buying and Selling at Sempra Energy

In other Sempra Energy news, CAO Dyan Z. Wold sold 1,510 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.38, for a total value of $137,983.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,481 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $318,093.78. This trade represents a 30.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Karen L. Sedgwick sold 7,564 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.29, for a total value of $698,081.56. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 41,280 shares in the company, valued at $3,809,731.20. This represents a 15.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 15,074 shares of company stock valued at $1,385,605. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Sempra Energy

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in Sempra Energy by 52.5% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 18,008 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,285,000 after acquiring an additional 6,196 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP raised its stake in shares of Sempra Energy by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 53,512 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $3,819,000 after purchasing an additional 15,474 shares during the period. Ignite Planners LLC lifted its holdings in Sempra Energy by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. Ignite Planners LLC now owns 12,396 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $970,000 after purchasing an additional 371 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in Sempra Energy by 14.0% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,104 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $159,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its stake in Sempra Energy by 7.2% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 21,944 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,663,000 after purchasing an additional 1,481 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 89.65% of the company’s stock.

About Sempra Energy

Sempra Energy is a San Diego–based energy infrastructure company that develops, owns and operates businesses delivering electricity and natural gas. Its operations include regulated utility services that provide electric and gas distribution to residential, commercial and industrial customers, as well as non?regulated infrastructure businesses that develop and manage large-scale energy assets.

The company’s product and service portfolio spans electricity and natural gas delivery, transmission and storage, liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, power generation and electric transmission projects.