Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK) Stock Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE:CPK) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $130.05 and traded as high as $132.91. Chesapeake Utilities shares last traded at $132.07, with a volume of 136,100 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on CPK. Wall Street Zen cut Chesapeake Utilities from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. Barclays restated a “reduce” rating and issued a $140.00 price objective (down from $141.00) on shares of Chesapeake Utilities in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Chesapeake Utilities in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Chesapeake Utilities presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $140.00.

Chesapeake Utilities Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.45 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $129.20 and a 200-day moving average price of $130.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.09 and a beta of 0.78.

Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The utilities provider reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.16 by ($0.22). Chesapeake Utilities had a net margin of 15.09% and a return on equity of 9.31%. The firm had revenue of $258.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $208.59 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.63 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 20.4% on a year-over-year basis. Chesapeake Utilities has set its FY 2028 guidance at 7.750-8.000 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Chesapeake Utilities Corporation will post 5.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Chesapeake Utilities Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a $0.685 dividend. This represents a $2.74 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Chesapeake Utilities’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.82%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Jeffry M. Householder sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.74, for a total transaction of $950,550.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 56,916 shares in the company, valued at $7,213,533.84. The trade was a 11.64% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 17,500 shares of company stock valued at $2,218,185. Company insiders own 1.51% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Chesapeake Utilities

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Chesapeake Utilities in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 292.9% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 220 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 164 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 94.7% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 222 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its position in Chesapeake Utilities by 66.1% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 274 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its position in Chesapeake Utilities by 77.4% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 298 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. 83.11% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Chesapeake Utilities

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE: CPK) is a diversified energy services holding company headquartered in Dover, Delaware. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company engages in natural gas distribution, transmission and storage; propane distribution; wholesale propane supply; and contract compression and natural gas liquids processing. Its core mission is to provide safe, reliable and cost-effective energy solutions to residential, commercial and industrial customers across multiple U.S.