Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU) (TSE:SU) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $52.00.

Several research firms recently commented on SU. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Suncor Energy from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. StockNews.com raised Suncor Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Suncor Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SU. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Suncor Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Suncor Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC bought a new position in shares of Suncor Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Optiver Holding B.V. bought a new position in shares of Suncor Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Suncor Energy by 43.2% in the fourth quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 1,038 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 313 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.37% of the company’s stock.

Suncor Energy Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of SU stock opened at $39.41 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $50.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.39, a PEG ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 1.13. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $36.44 and a 200-day moving average of $33.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. Suncor Energy has a 1-year low of $27.59 and a 1-year high of $39.63.

Suncor Energy (NYSE:SU) (TSE:SU) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The oil and gas producer reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.80 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $10.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.46 billion. Suncor Energy had a return on equity of 16.08% and a net margin of 16.33%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.33 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Suncor Energy will post 3.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Suncor Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 4th were paid a $0.406 dividend. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.12%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 1st. This is a boost from Suncor Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. Suncor Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.04%.

About Suncor Energy

Suncor Energy Inc operates as an integrated energy company in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; and Refining and Marketing segments. The Oil Sands segment explores, develops, and produces bitumen, synthetic crude oil, and related products.