NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) Upgraded by Barclays to “Strong-Buy” Rating

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) was upgraded by analysts at Barclays to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

NRG has been the subject of a number of other reports. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on NRG Energy in a report on Friday, April 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $129.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of NRG Energy from $113.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of NRG Energy from $138.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of NRG Energy from $165.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $167.00 price target (up from $115.00) on shares of NRG Energy in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.80.

NRG Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NRG stock opened at $161.61 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $31.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.13. NRG Energy has a 52 week low of $65.11 and a 52 week high of $162.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.06. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $140.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $112.99.

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 12th. The utilities provider reported $2.62 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.72 by $1.90. NRG Energy had a net margin of 4.66% and a return on equity of 73.78%. The business had revenue of $8.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.28 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.31 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 15.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that NRG Energy will post 6.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at NRG Energy

In other NRG Energy news, Director Kevin Howell sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.50, for a total transaction of $7,725,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 55,427 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,563,471.50. The trade was a 47.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.86% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of NRG Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new position in shares of NRG Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Key Financial Inc bought a new position in NRG Energy during the first quarter worth $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of NRG Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Evermay Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of NRG Energy in the first quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Mizuho Bank Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of NRG Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. 97.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About NRG Energy

NRG Energy, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy and home services company in the United States and Canada. It operates through Texas; East; West/Services/Other; Vivint Smart Home; and Corporate Activities segments. The company produces and sells electricity generated using coal, oil, solar, and battery storage; natural gas; and a cloud-based home platform, including hardware, software, sales, installation, customer service, technical support, and professional monitoring solutions.