1,506 Shares in Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES) Purchased by Vision Financial Markets LLC

Vision Financial Markets LLC acquired a new position in Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 1,506 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $86,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Eversource Energy by 1.7% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 25,539,895 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,737,990,000 after acquiring an additional 430,587 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new stake in Eversource Energy in the third quarter worth about $808,783,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Eversource Energy by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 9,933,838 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $570,500,000 after acquiring an additional 226,972 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Eversource Energy by 3.1% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 9,040,171 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $613,233,000 after acquiring an additional 268,588 shares during the period. Finally, FMR LLC lifted its stake in Eversource Energy by 2.7% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 7,019,064 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $477,647,000 after acquiring an additional 185,381 shares during the period. 79.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Eversource Energy Stock Performance

ES opened at $58.83 on Thursday. Eversource Energy has a 52-week low of $54.75 and a 52-week high of $69.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. The company has a market cap of $21.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.60. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $58.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $62.35.

Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The utilities provider reported $1.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.01. Eversource Energy had a net margin of 6.82% and a return on equity of 10.99%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Eversource Energy will post 4.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eversource Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 4th will be issued a $0.7525 dividend. This represents a $3.01 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.12%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 4th. This is an increase from Eversource Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. Eversource Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 130.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Frederica M. Williams sold 3,092 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.26, for a total value of $192,507.92. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 22,671 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,411,496.46. This represents a 12.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Jay S. Buth sold 980 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.99, for a total transaction of $61,730.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 24,374 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,535,318.26. This trade represents a 3.87 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on ES. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Eversource Energy in a research note on Monday, February 10th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Eversource Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 1st. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Eversource Energy from $72.00 to $69.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of Eversource Energy from $52.00 to $47.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Eversource Energy from $79.00 to $75.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $67.45.

Eversource Energy Company Profile

Eversource Energy, a public utility holding company, engages in the energy delivery business. The company operates through Electric Distribution, Electric Transmission, Natural Gas Distribution, and Water Distribution segments. It is involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity; solar power facilities; and distribution of natural gas.