Chesapeake Energy Co. (NASDAQ:CHK) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Chesapeake Energy Co. (NASDAQ:CHK – Get Rating) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $118.70.

CHK has been the subject of several recent research reports. Credit Suisse Group lowered their target price on Chesapeake Energy from $135.00 to $130.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Chesapeake Energy from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $117.00 to $87.00 in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Chesapeake Energy in a research report on Thursday. Citigroup began coverage on Chesapeake Energy in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $90.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Mizuho reduced their target price on Chesapeake Energy from $155.00 to $129.00 in a report on Friday, March 10th.

Chesapeake Energy Trading Up 2.2 %

Shares of CHK opened at $73.25 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $83.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $93.27. The stock has a market cap of $9.87 billion, a PE ratio of 2.28, a P/E/G ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 0.68. Chesapeake Energy has a 12 month low of $69.68 and a 12 month high of $107.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 1.00.

Chesapeake Energy (NASDAQ:CHK – Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 21st. The company reported $4.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.96 by $1.26. The company had revenue of $2.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.80 billion. Chesapeake Energy had a return on equity of 37.70% and a net margin of 42.03%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.39 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Chesapeake Energy will post 6.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chesapeake Energy Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a None dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 7th will be given a dividend of $1.29 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 6th. This represents a yield of 2.4%. Chesapeake Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.86%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Chesapeake Energy by 15.7% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 11,196,852 shares of the company’s stock worth $974,127,000 after buying an additional 1,517,281 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Chesapeake Energy by 0.7% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,649,011 shares of the company’s stock valued at $404,465,000 after purchasing an additional 33,353 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its holdings in Chesapeake Energy by 26.3% during the 4th quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 2,662,207 shares of the company’s stock worth $251,232,000 after acquiring an additional 554,395 shares during the period. Kimmeridge Energy Management Company LLC increased its holdings in Chesapeake Energy by 16.7% during the 3rd quarter. Kimmeridge Energy Management Company LLC now owns 2,564,693 shares of the company’s stock worth $241,620,000 after acquiring an additional 367,733 shares during the period. Finally, Lord Abbett & CO. LLC increased its holdings in Chesapeake Energy by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 2,248,659 shares of the company’s stock worth $212,206,000 after acquiring an additional 136,298 shares during the period.

Chesapeake Energy Company Profile

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Chesapeake Energy Corporation, an independent exploration and production company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of properties for the production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids from underground reservoirs in the United States. The company holds interests in natural gas resource plays in the Marcellus Shale in the northern Appalachian Basin in Pennsylvania and the Haynesville/Bossier Shales in northwestern Louisiana; and the liquids-rich resource play in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas.