Strategic Financial Concepts LLC Purchases New Shares in Sempra (NYSE:SRE)

Strategic Financial Concepts LLC acquired a new position in Sempra (NYSE:SRE) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 14,815 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,300,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in Sempra by 41.2% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 11,484 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $951,000 after purchasing an additional 3,349 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Sempra by 11.7% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 9,479 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $831,000 after buying an additional 990 shares in the last quarter. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sempra during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $209,000. Quaero Capital S.A. grew its stake in Sempra by 9.4% in the 4th quarter. Quaero Capital S.A. now owns 11,080 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $972,000 after acquiring an additional 950 shares during the period. Finally, Valeo Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Sempra by 44.3% in the 4th quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,103 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $360,000 after acquiring an additional 1,259 shares in the last quarter. 89.65% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on SRE shares. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Sempra from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $85.00 to $98.00 in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Sempra from $87.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Sempra in a report on Thursday, October 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $98.00 target price for the company. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Sempra from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on Sempra from $99.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $91.20.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Sempra news, SVP Alexander Lisa Larroque sold 2,755 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.93, for a total value of $225,717.15. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 13,905 shares in the company, valued at $1,139,236.65. The trade was a 16.54 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 49,737 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.94, for a total transaction of $4,125,186.78. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 2 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $165.88. This represents a 100.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Sempra Stock Performance

Shares of Sempra stock opened at $84.59 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $84.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $84.72. The company has a market cap of $53.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.63, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a current ratio of 0.52. Sempra has a one year low of $66.40 and a one year high of $95.77.

About Sempra

Sempra operates as an energy infrastructure company in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Sempra California, Sempra Texas Utilities, and Sempra Infrastructure. The Sempra California segment provides electric services; and natural gas services to San Diego County.