Brokerages Set Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE:DEC) Target Price at $20.50

Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE:DEC) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $20.50.

Several research analysts have weighed in on DEC shares. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Diversified Energy from $17.00 to $15.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Zacks Research cut shares of Diversified Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, January 19th. William Blair started coverage on Diversified Energy in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Wall Street Zen raised Diversified Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, Mizuho lifted their target price on Diversified Energy from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Diversified Energy news, Director Randall S. Wade sold 2,100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.28, for a total transaction of $27,888,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 7,501,585 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $99,621,048.80. This represents a 21.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Diversified Energy

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of DEC. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Diversified Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $164,000. Tejara Capital Ltd boosted its position in Diversified Energy by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Tejara Capital Ltd now owns 2,007,882 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,074,000 after purchasing an additional 54,976 shares during the period. Bailard Inc. grew its stake in Diversified Energy by 39.3% during the 4th quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 18,800 shares of the company’s stock worth $272,000 after buying an additional 5,300 shares during the last quarter. ABC Arbitrage SA acquired a new stake in Diversified Energy in the fourth quarter worth $164,000. Finally, Premier Fund Managers Ltd bought a new stake in Diversified Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $12,069,000. Institutional investors own 26.51% of the company’s stock.

Diversified Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE DEC opened at $13.41 on Thursday. Diversified Energy has a fifty-two week low of $10.08 and a fifty-two week high of $17.24. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $13.84 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.27.

Diversified Energy (NYSE:DEC) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $2.28 EPS for the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Diversified Energy will post 0.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Diversified Energy

Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE: DEC) is an independent oil and natural gas producer focused on the acquisition and optimization of legacy onshore assets in the United States. The company’s portfolio spans thousands of producing wells and extensive leasehold positions across core regions such as Appalachia, the Permian Basin and the Mid-Continent. By targeting mature properties, Diversified Energy seeks to enhance long-term recovery through operational efficiencies and capital discipline.

The company’s business model centers on fee-based infrastructure and midstream services that provide stable and predictable cash flows.