WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC – Get Rating) has earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eleven analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $102.67.

WEC has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $98.00 price target on shares of WEC Energy Group in a research report on Friday, February 4th. Evercore ISI reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $97.00 price target on shares of WEC Energy Group in a research report on Friday, February 4th. Credit Suisse Group initiated coverage on shares of WEC Energy Group in a research report on Monday, April 25th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $108.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of WEC Energy Group in a research report on Thursday, March 31st. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of WEC Energy Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $109.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 13th.

In other WEC Energy Group news, VP Anthony Reese sold 1,325 shares of WEC Energy Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $102.47, for a total transaction of $135,772.75. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 905 shares in the company, valued at $92,735.35. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Molly A. Mulroy sold 5,600 shares of WEC Energy Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.23, for a total transaction of $578,088.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 1,842 shares in the company, valued at approximately $190,149.66. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of WEC Energy Group by 150.0% in the 1st quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 250 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. acquired a new stake in shares of WEC Energy Group in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Lumature Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of WEC Energy Group by 66.3% in the 4th quarter. Lumature Wealth Partners LLC now owns 316 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Ulland Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of WEC Energy Group in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of WEC Energy Group in the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.36% of the company’s stock.

Shares of WEC opened at $106.53 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $33.60 billion, a PE ratio of 24.83, a PEG ratio of 3.88 and a beta of 0.27. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $102.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $96.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.79. WEC Energy Group has a twelve month low of $86.84 and a twelve month high of $108.39.

WEC Energy Group (NYSE:WEC – Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 2nd. The utilities provider reported $1.79 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.66 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $2.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.83 billion. WEC Energy Group had a net margin of 15.90% and a return on equity of 12.17%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.61 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that WEC Energy Group will post 4.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 13th will be given a dividend of $0.7275 per share. This represents a $2.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.73%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 12th. WEC Energy Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.83%.

About WEC Energy Group (Get Rating)

WEC Energy Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides regulated natural gas and electricity, and renewable and nonregulated renewable energy services in the United States. The company operates through six segments: Wisconsin, Illinois, Other States, Electric Transmission, Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure, and Corporate and Other.

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