Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) Reaches New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) shares hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $71.79 and last traded at $71.60, with a volume of 80248 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $71.35.

Analyst Ratings Changes

XEL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Xcel Energy from $66.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, September 20th. Barclays boosted their price target on Xcel Energy from $57.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $72.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Xcel Energy from $69.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Argus raised Xcel Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $68.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $66.31.

Xcel Energy Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a 50-day moving average of $65.42 and a 200-day moving average of $59.82.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.26 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $3.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.93 billion. Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.76% and a net margin of 13.67%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.23 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Xcel Energy Inc. will post 3.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of XEL. BOKF NA increased its holdings in shares of Xcel Energy by 18.2% during the 1st quarter. BOKF NA now owns 24,678 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,315,000 after buying an additional 3,806 shares during the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its position in Xcel Energy by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 28,641 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,539,000 after purchasing an additional 1,202 shares during the period. LBP AM SA boosted its position in Xcel Energy by 1,137.6% during the 1st quarter. LBP AM SA now owns 89,661 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,819,000 after purchasing an additional 82,416 shares during the period. Zimmer Partners LP boosted its position in Xcel Energy by 1,765.0% during the 1st quarter. Zimmer Partners LP now owns 932,505 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,122,000 after purchasing an additional 882,505 shares during the period. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Xcel Energy during the 1st quarter worth $994,000. 78.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, purchasing, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. It operates through Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility, and All Other segments. The company generates electricity through wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, biomass, and solar energy sources, as well as coal, natural gas, oil, wood, and refuse-derived fuels.