HUB Investment Partners LLC Grows Stake in Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET)

HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) by 417.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 142,043 shares of the pipeline company’s stock after purchasing an additional 114,577 shares during the quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Energy Transfer were worth $2,783,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. FMR LLC lifted its stake in Energy Transfer by 44.0% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 33,379,297 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $535,738,000 after acquiring an additional 10,195,768 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in shares of Energy Transfer by 36.7% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 11,563,478 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $185,594,000 after purchasing an additional 3,106,631 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. lifted its position in Energy Transfer by 45.9% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 9,581,762 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $153,787,000 after purchasing an additional 3,013,973 shares during the period. Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Energy Transfer by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP now owns 23,987,750 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $469,920,000 after purchasing an additional 1,723,683 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prospera Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in Energy Transfer by 1,680.2% during the 3rd quarter. Prospera Private Wealth LLC now owns 774,194 shares of the pipeline company’s stock valued at $12,426,000 after buying an additional 730,706 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 38.22% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on ET shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Energy Transfer from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Citigroup upped their price target on Energy Transfer from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Energy Transfer from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Energy Transfer from $20.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, December 9th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Energy Transfer in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.55.

Energy Transfer Price Performance

ET stock opened at $18.94 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. Energy Transfer LP has a 52 week low of $14.90 and a 52 week high of $21.45. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $19.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $18.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.72.

Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The pipeline company reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by ($0.06). Energy Transfer had a return on equity of 11.56% and a net margin of 5.74%. Analysts anticipate that Energy Transfer LP will post 1.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Energy Transfer Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a $0.325 dividend. This represents a $1.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. This is a positive change from Energy Transfer’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Energy Transfer’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 101.56%.

About Energy Transfer

Energy Transfer LP provides energy-related services. The company owns and operates natural gas transportation pipeline, and natural gas storage facilities in Texas and Oklahoma; and approximately 20,090 miles of interstate natural gas pipeline. It also sells natural gas to electric utilities, independent power plants, local distribution and other marketing companies, and industrial end-users.