Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR) Shares Sold by Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc.

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR – Get Rating) by 59.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 16,671 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 24,904 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Portland General Electric were worth $817,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in shares of Portland General Electric by 17.4% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 14,034 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $774,000 after purchasing an additional 2,083 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Portland General Electric by 58.9% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 46,899 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,586,000 after buying an additional 17,386 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new position in shares of Portland General Electric in the first quarter worth approximately $239,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Portland General Electric during the first quarter valued at approximately $460,000. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Portland General Electric by 55.0% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 47,232 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,605,000 after acquiring an additional 16,750 shares in the last quarter. 97.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Portland General Electric Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE POR opened at $49.36 on Monday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $49.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of $48.44. Portland General Electric has a 52 week low of $41.58 and a 52 week high of $56.37. The stock has a market cap of $4.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.08, a PEG ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.02.

Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR – Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The utilities provider reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.11. Portland General Electric had a net margin of 8.88% and a return on equity of 9.06%. The company had revenue of $687.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $624.60 million. On average, research analysts predict that Portland General Electric will post 2.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Portland General Electric Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 26th will be given a $0.475 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 23rd. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.85%. This is a boost from Portland General Electric’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Portland General Electric’s payout ratio is currently 66.30%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on POR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Portland General Electric in a research report on Monday, May 8th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $56.00 price objective on the stock. Credit Suisse Group increased their price objective on Portland General Electric from $48.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Portland General Electric from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 17th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Portland General Electric in a research report on Thursday. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Portland General Electric from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $47.00 to $52.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Portland General Electric currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $50.75.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP John Teeruk Kochavatr sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.12, for a total value of $153,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 15,489 shares in the company, valued at approximately $791,797.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, VP Brett Michael Sims sold 2,050 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.00, for a total transaction of $96,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 10,978 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $515,966. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP John Teeruk Kochavatr sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.12, for a total value of $153,360.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 15,489 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $791,797.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.51% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Portland General Electric Profile

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Portland General Electric Co engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity in the state of Oregon. The firm also sells electricity and natural gas in the wholesale market to utilities, brokers, and power marketers. It also serves residential, commercial and non-residential customers.