Bollard Group LLC Has $18.46 Million Stock Holdings in Energy Transfer LP $ET

Bollard Group LLC boosted its stake in Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) by 17.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 956,441 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after buying an additional 145,529 shares during the quarter. Bollard Group LLC’s holdings in Energy Transfer were worth $18,459,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Energy Transfer during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Gables Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in Energy Transfer by 60.0% during the fourth quarter. Gables Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,600 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Energy Transfer in the first quarter valued at about $35,000. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors purchased a new position in Energy Transfer in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Energy Transfer in the 1st quarter worth about $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 38.22% of the company’s stock.

Energy Transfer News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Energy Transfer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ET was featured as a low-beta stock that can help reduce portfolio risk, with stable fee-based revenues and growth projects supporting its defensive appeal. 3 Low-Beta Stocks to Minimize Portfolio Risk: LQDA, ET & PBF
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary say Energy Transfer may be undervalued after raising EBITDA guidance, which could support the stock’s upside potential. Energy Transfer (ET) Could Be 13% Undervalued Following Raised EBITDA Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: The company affirmed its income appeal by announcing a quarterly cash distribution on Series I preferred units, signaling continued cash returns to investors. Energy Transfer LP Announces Cash Distribution on Series I Preferred Units
• Positive Sentiment: ET is being highlighted as a high-yield stock with strong analyst support and room to run, reinforcing investor interest in the name. 5 High-Yield Stocks With Analyst Support and Room to Run
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles note that Zacks users have been searching for ET more frequently, suggesting rising attention but not a clear fundamental catalyst. Energy Transfer LP (ET) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: ET was also mentioned in broader industry pieces on pipeline MLPs and dividend stocks, which support the bullish case but do not add a company-specific catalyst. 3 Oil Pipeline MLP Stocks Riding on Favorable Industry Trends

Energy Transfer Price Performance

Shares of ET stock opened at $20.38 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $19.55 and its 200 day simple moving average is $18.97. Energy Transfer LP has a one year low of $16.18 and a one year high of $20.70. The firm has a market cap of $70.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.98, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.93.

Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The pipeline company reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by ($0.05). Energy Transfer had a net margin of 4.66% and a return on equity of 9.77%. The company had revenue of $27.77 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.78 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.36 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 32.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Energy Transfer LP will post 1.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Energy Transfer Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th were paid a dividend of $0.3375 per share. This is a positive change from Energy Transfer’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.34. This represents a $1.35 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 8th. Energy Transfer’s payout ratio is currently 112.50%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ET shares. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Energy Transfer in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Energy Transfer from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Energy Transfer from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $23.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Energy Transfer in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Scotiabank restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Energy Transfer in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $23.50.

About Energy Transfer

Energy Transfer (NYSE: ET) is a Dallas-based midstream energy company that develops and operates infrastructure for the transportation, storage and processing of hydrocarbons. The company’s operations focus on moving and storing natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil and refined products through an integrated network of pipelines, terminals, storage facilities and processing plants. Energy Transfer provides core midstream services such as gathering, compression, fractionation, processing, and bulk transportation to support production and downstream supply chains.

Its asset base spans an extensive network across the United States, connecting producing regions, processing centers, petrochemical hubs and coastal and inland markets.