SM Energy (NYSE:SM) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.06 EPS

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) announced its earnings results on Wednesday. The energy company reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.06, Zacks reports. SM Energy had a return on equity of 16.67% and a net margin of 22.03%.

SM Energy Trading Down 1.7%

SM stock traded down $0.38 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $22.08. 6,478,767 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,737,240. The company has a current ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. SM Energy has a 52-week low of $17.45 and a 52-week high of $33.46. The company has a market cap of $2.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 1.14. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $19.60 and its 200-day moving average is $21.87.

SM Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. SM Energy’s payout ratio is presently 12.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on SM. TD Cowen upgraded SM Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Zacks Research raised SM Energy from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 16th. Stephens boosted their price target on shares of SM Energy from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $24.00 price target on shares of SM Energy in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Mizuho set a $34.00 price objective on shares of SM Energy in a research note on Friday, January 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $32.20.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SM Energy

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its stake in SM Energy by 62.9% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,386 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 535 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of SM Energy in the third quarter valued at $31,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of SM Energy by 102.4% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,911 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 967 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming boosted its position in shares of SM Energy by 22.2% in the fourth quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 2,748 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 499 shares during the period. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of SM Energy during the third quarter valued at $80,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.56% of the company’s stock.

SM Energy Company Profile

SM Energy Company (NYSE: SM) is an independent energy firm engaged in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. The company focuses on identifying and exploiting unconventional onshore basins, leveraging advanced drilling and completion techniques to optimize resource recovery. SM Energy’s operations are supported by an integrated approach to reservoir management and strategic midstream partnerships, enabling efficient transportation and marketing of hydrocarbons.

The company’s core asset areas include prolific basins such as the Permian, Eagle Ford, and the Rocky Mountain region.