Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $132.0909.

A number of research firms have issued reports on EXE. TD Cowen upgraded shares of Expand Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Expand Energy in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Stephens increased their price target on shares of Expand Energy from $145.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $123.00 price target on shares of Expand Energy in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Expand Energy in a research note on Friday, March 27th.

Expand Energy Stock Down 1.4%

EXE stock opened at $96.06 on Monday. Expand Energy has a 12-month low of $91.01 and a 12-month high of $126.62. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The company has a market cap of $22.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.16 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a 50 day moving average of $103.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $107.46.

Expand Energy (NASDAQ:EXE) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $3.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.61 by $0.22. Expand Energy had a net margin of 22.53% and a return on equity of 10.26%. The company had revenue of $4.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.53 billion. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Expand Energy will post 8.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Expand Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.575 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. This represents a $2.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Expand Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 17.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Expand Energy

In other Expand Energy news, CFO Marcel Teunissen purchased 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The shares were bought at an average price of $96.43 per share, for a total transaction of $192,860.00. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 9,144 shares in the company, valued at $881,755.92. This trade represents a 28.00% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Michael Wichterich purchased 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $107.50 per share, for a total transaction of $215,000.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 83,498 shares in the company, valued at $8,976,035. The trade was a 2.45% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its position in shares of Expand Energy by 12.8% during the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 120,840 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,838,000 after purchasing an additional 13,670 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Expand Energy by 513.9% during the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 36,781 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,908,000 after purchasing an additional 30,790 shares in the last quarter. Candriam S.C.A. increased its position in shares of Expand Energy by 59.0% during the 3rd quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 30,794 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,272,000 after purchasing an additional 11,428 shares in the last quarter. CSM Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Expand Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $20,103,000. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. increased its position in shares of Expand Energy by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 78,149 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,303,000 after purchasing an additional 10,919 shares in the last quarter. 97.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Expand Energy

Expand Energy Corporation is an independent natural gas producer principally in the United States. Expand Energy Corporation, formerly known as Chesapeake Energy Corporation, is based in OKLAHOMA CITY.