Reaves W H & Co. Inc. Has $47.85 Million Stock Holdings in NRG Energy, Inc. $NRG

Reaves W H & Co. Inc. raised its holdings in shares of NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) by 122.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 295,471 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 162,874 shares during the period. Reaves W H & Co. Inc. owned approximately 0.15% of NRG Energy worth $47,852,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in NRG. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in NRG Energy during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of NRG Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp raised its position in shares of NRG Energy by 90.4% in the 3rd quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 179 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the period. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC bought a new position in NRG Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in NRG Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 97.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on NRG shares. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of NRG Energy in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Zacks Research downgraded NRG Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on NRG Energy from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of NRG Energy in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on NRG Energy from $202.00 to $206.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, NRG Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $184.91.

Insider Buying and Selling at NRG Energy

In related news, VP Brian Curci sold 46,976 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.84, for a total value of $7,461,667.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 46,113 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,324,588.92. This trade represents a 50.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Robert J. Gaudette sold 45,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.76, for a total transaction of $7,144,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 63,920 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,147,939.20. The trade was a 41.31% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 192,556 shares of company stock valued at $30,826,846. Corporate insiders own 0.61% of the company’s stock.

NRG Energy Price Performance

Shares of NRG opened at $155.82 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.45. NRG Energy, Inc. has a twelve month low of $79.57 and a twelve month high of $180.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.29 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a 50 day moving average of $156.27 and a 200-day moving average of $159.83.

NRG Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 2nd will be paid a $0.475 dividend. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 2nd. This is an increase from NRG Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. NRG Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.40%.

NRG Energy announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Thursday, November 6th that allows the company to buyback $3.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the utilities provider to repurchase up to 9.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

NRG Energy Profile

NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) is a U.S.-based integrated power company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company develops, owns and operates a diversified portfolio of power generation assets and participates in wholesale and retail energy markets. NRG supplies electricity to utilities, commercial and industrial customers, and retail consumers, while also providing energy-related products and services designed to manage consumption and support reliability.

NRG’s generation mix includes conventional thermal plants as well as renewable and distributed energy resources.