Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Boosts Stake in Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE)

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its stake in Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE – Get Rating) by 16.8% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 172,026 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 24,731 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.’s holdings in Sempra Energy were worth $25,790,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Sempra Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Sempra Energy by 440.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 243 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares during the period. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Sempra Energy by 842.9% during the 2nd quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 264 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 236 shares during the period. Coston McIsaac & Partners purchased a new position in shares of Sempra Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $47,000. Finally, Ritter Daniher Financial Advisory LLC DE purchased a new position in shares of Sempra Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $58,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.75% of the company’s stock.

Sempra Energy Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of NYSE SRE opened at $148.69 on Friday. Sempra Energy has a 12-month low of $136.54 and a 12-month high of $176.47. The company has a market cap of $46.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $155.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $157.00.

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE – Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The utilities provider reported $2.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.06 by $0.29. Sempra Energy had a return on equity of 10.53% and a net margin of 14.74%. The firm had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.79 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.16 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Sempra Energy will post 8.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sempra Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, April 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 22nd will be issued a $1.19 dividend. This is an increase from Sempra Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. This represents a $4.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 21st. Sempra Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on SRE. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Sempra Energy from $160.00 to $158.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Sempra Energy from $180.00 to $174.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. StockNews.com began coverage on Sempra Energy in a research note on Thursday. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on Sempra Energy from $169.00 to $166.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, TheStreet upgraded Sempra Energy from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a report on Friday, December 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Sempra Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $169.60.

Insider Activity at Sempra Energy

In related news, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 15,964 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.92, for a total value of $2,584,890.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 19,261 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,118,741.12. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Sempra Energy news, CAO Peter R. Wall sold 2,940 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.16, for a total value of $473,810.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,681 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $915,549.96. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 15,964 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.92, for a total transaction of $2,584,890.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 19,261 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,118,741.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 52,504 shares of company stock worth $8,045,547. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Sempra Energy Company Profile

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Sempra Energy is an energy-service holding company, which engages in the development and operation of energy infrastructure, and provision of electric and gas services. It operates through the following segments: San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E), Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), Sempra Texas Utilities, Sempra Mexico, and Sempra LNG.