Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) Price Target Raised to $106.00

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) had its price objective hoisted by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $98.00 to $106.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target would indicate a potential upside of 10.83% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on SRE. Argus upgraded Sempra Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Wall Street Zen cut Sempra Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $101.00 price target on shares of Sempra Energy in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Sempra Energy from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $99.00 price objective (up from $80.00) on shares of Sempra Energy in a research report on Monday, November 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $100.55.

Sempra Energy Stock Down 0.3%

NYSE SRE traded down $0.30 on Wednesday, reaching $95.64. The company had a trading volume of 413,730 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,915,326. The firm has a market capitalization of $62.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 1.59. Sempra Energy has a 1-year low of $61.90 and a 1-year high of $97.44. The company’s fifty day moving average is $91.07 and its 200-day moving average is $89.87.

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The utilities provider reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.12 by $0.16. Sempra Energy had a return on equity of 8.22% and a net margin of 13.27%.The firm had revenue of $3.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.50 EPS. The company’s revenue was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Sempra Energy will post 4.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Karen L. Sedgwick sold 4,872 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.58, for a total value of $451,049.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 39,029 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,613,304.82. This trade represents a 11.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Jennifer M. Kirk purchased 1,000 shares of Sempra Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $93.44 per share, with a total value of $93,440.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $93,440. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders purchased 6,192 shares of company stock worth $576,979 in the last 90 days. 0.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. West Wealth Group LLC grew its position in shares of Sempra Energy by 1.1% in the third quarter. West Wealth Group LLC now owns 10,207 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $942,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO increased its stake in shares of Sempra Energy by 1.7% during the third quarter. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO now owns 6,911 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $622,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Sempra Energy by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,587 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $773,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton lifted its holdings in Sempra Energy by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 5,191 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $458,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisor OS LLC boosted its stake in Sempra Energy by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Advisor OS LLC now owns 9,681 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $871,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the period. 89.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Sempra Energy Company Profile

Sempra Energy is a San Diego–based energy infrastructure company that develops, owns and operates businesses delivering electricity and natural gas. Its operations include regulated utility services that provide electric and gas distribution to residential, commercial and industrial customers, as well as non‑regulated infrastructure businesses that develop and manage large-scale energy assets.

The company’s product and service portfolio spans electricity and natural gas delivery, transmission and storage, liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, power generation and electric transmission projects.