Dearborn Partners LLC Trims Holdings in Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)

Dearborn Partners LLC decreased its stake in shares of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) by 11.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 10,922 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,367 shares during the period. Dearborn Partners LLC’s holdings in Xcel Energy were worth $773,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of XEL. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in Xcel Energy by 18.3% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 472,344 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,437,000 after buying an additional 73,036 shares during the last quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy in the 1st quarter worth about $2,735,000. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Xcel Energy in the 1st quarter valued at about $905,000. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the first quarter worth approximately $329,000. Finally, Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc acquired a new position in shares of Xcel Energy during the first quarter valued at $267,000. 78.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

XEL has been the subject of several research reports. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Xcel Energy from $69.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $78.00 target price on Xcel Energy and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Xcel Energy from $78.00 to $77.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $75.80.

Xcel Energy Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of XEL stock opened at $72.39 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $41.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.36. Xcel Energy Inc. has a 12-month low of $56.69 and a 12-month high of $73.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $69.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.00.

Xcel Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.15%. Xcel Energy’s payout ratio is currently 67.06%.

Xcel Energy Profile

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.