NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) Price Target Raised to $97.00 at Morgan Stanley

NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) had its target price lifted by Morgan Stanley from $95.00 to $97.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the utilities provider’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on NEE. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of NextEra Energy from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on NextEra Energy from $81.00 to $77.00 in a report on Monday, January 27th. Evercore ISI cut their target price on NextEra Energy from $84.00 to $79.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 27th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $89.00 price target on shares of NextEra Energy in a research note on Thursday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on NextEra Energy from $82.00 to $84.00 in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, NextEra Energy presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $85.92.

NextEra Energy Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of NEE opened at $71.17 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 0.47. NextEra Energy has a 52 week low of $61.29 and a 52 week high of $86.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $146.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.12, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.58. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $70.55 and a 200-day moving average of $75.63.

NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 24th. The utilities provider reported $0.53 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.53. NextEra Energy had a return on equity of 11.85% and a net margin of 28.06%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that NextEra Energy will post 3.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

NextEra Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a $0.5665 dividend. This is an increase from NextEra Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. This represents a $2.27 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. NextEra Energy’s payout ratio is 67.06%.

Insider Transactions at NextEra Energy

In related news, CAO James Michael May sold 2,383 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.09, for a total value of $162,258.47. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 27,427 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,867,504.43. The trade was a 7.99 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Chancellor Financial Group WB LP bought a new position in shares of NextEra Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $2,866,000. Objective Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of NextEra Energy by 10.7% in the 4th quarter. Objective Capital Management LLC now owns 3,707 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $266,000 after acquiring an additional 357 shares during the last quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC lifted its position in NextEra Energy by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 8,721 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $650,000 after acquiring an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. 111 Capital acquired a new position in NextEra Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $305,000. Finally, NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC increased its holdings in NextEra Energy by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 41,653 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,986,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.72% of the company’s stock.

About NextEra Energy

NextEra Energy, Inc, through its subsidiaries, generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power to retail and wholesale customers in North America. The company generates electricity through wind, solar, nuclear,natural gas, and other clean energy. It also develops, constructs, and operates long-term contracted assets that consists of clean energy solutions, such as renewable generation facilities, battery storage projects, and electric transmission facilities; sells energy commodities; and owns, develops, constructs, manages and operates electric generation facilities in wholesale energy markets.