UGI (NYSE:UGI) Hits New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

UGI Co. (NYSE:UGI) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $32.65 and last traded at $32.59, with a volume of 105805 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $32.35.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UGI has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Mizuho raised shares of UGI from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $27.00 to $30.00 in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of UGI in a report on Friday, November 22nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $28.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $28.33.

UGI Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.80. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $29.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.48. The stock has a market cap of $6.94 billion, a PE ratio of 12.72, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.21.

UGI (NYSE:UGI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.16. UGI had a net margin of 7.73% and a return on equity of 15.21%. Equities analysts anticipate that UGI Co. will post 3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UGI Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.375 per share. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.64%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. UGI’s payout ratio is 59.06%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UGI

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new position in shares of UGI during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in UGI by 216.7% in the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 893 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 611 shares in the last quarter. S.A. Mason LLC bought a new position in UGI during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. GeoWealth Management LLC acquired a new position in UGI during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of UGI in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.34% of the company’s stock.

About UGI

UGI Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, distributes, stores, transports, and markets energy products and related services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: AmeriGas Propane, UGI International, Midstream & Marketing, and UGI Utilities. It distributes propane to approximately 1.3 million residential, commercial/industrial, motor fuel, agricultural, and wholesale customers through 1,400 propane distribution locations.