UGI (NYSE:UGI) Hits New 1-Year High After Analyst Upgrade

UGI Co. (NYSE:UGI) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday after StockNews.com upgraded the stock from a hold rating to a buy rating. The company traded as high as $35.41 and last traded at $35.37, with a volume of 300638 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $35.31.

Separately, Mizuho raised their target price on shares of UGI from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday.

Insider Activity

In other UGI news, insider Michael Sharp purchased 4,806 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $33.30 per share, with a total value of $160,039.80. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now owns 4,806 shares in the company, valued at approximately $160,039.80. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.73% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. AIA Group Ltd increased its holdings in shares of UGI by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. AIA Group Ltd now owns 18,047 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $509,000 after purchasing an additional 323 shares during the period. Wealthspire Advisors LLC increased its stake in UGI by 1.9% in the first quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 17,574 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $581,000 after acquiring an additional 323 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in UGI by 36.1% in the first quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,395 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. boosted its position in UGI by 25.3% in the first quarter. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. now owns 1,880 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE lifted its position in shares of UGI by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 10,826 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $306,000 after purchasing an additional 388 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.34% of the company’s stock.

UGI Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $7.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $32.87 and its 200-day moving average price is $30.38.

UGI (NYSE:UGI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $2.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.26 billion. UGI had a return on equity of 15.19% and a net margin of 7.73%. The firm’s revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.97 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that UGI Co. will post 3.02 earnings per share for the current year.

UGI Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.375 per share. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 16th. UGI’s payout ratio is presently 61.73%.

UGI Company Profile

UGI Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, distributes, stores, transports, and markets energy products and related services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: AmeriGas Propane, UGI International, Midstream & Marketing, and UGI Utilities. It distributes propane to approximately 1.3 million residential, commercial/industrial, motor fuel, agricultural, and wholesale customers through 1,400 propane distribution locations.