Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Trims Position in Chesapeake Energy Co. (NASDAQ:CHK)

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lowered its holdings in Chesapeake Energy Co. (NASDAQ:CHK) by 60.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,506 shares of the company’s stock after selling 36,658 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.’s holdings in Chesapeake Energy were worth $1,809,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Chesapeake Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Chesapeake Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of Chesapeake Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. grew its stake in shares of Chesapeake Energy by 1,207.7% during the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 680 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 628 shares during the period. Finally, Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Chesapeake Energy by 160.7% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 730 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 450 shares during the last quarter. 97.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. KeyCorp assumed coverage on Chesapeake Energy in a report on Thursday, April 4th. They issued a “sector weight” rating on the stock. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Chesapeake Energy from $92.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 11th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Chesapeake Energy from $92.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Chesapeake Energy from $118.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Finally, Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Chesapeake Energy from $101.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Chesapeake Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $106.67.

Chesapeake Energy Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CHK opened at $89.75 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $11.76 billion, a PE ratio of 12.10 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a quick ratio of 2.33, a current ratio of 2.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $88.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $82.31. Chesapeake Energy Co. has a fifty-two week low of $72.84 and a fifty-two week high of $93.58.

Chesapeake Energy (NASDAQ:CHK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 30th. The company reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by ($0.08). Chesapeake Energy had a return on equity of 4.87% and a net margin of 16.42%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $674.99 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.87 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Chesapeake Energy Co. will post 1.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chesapeake Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $0.715 per share. This is a boost from Chesapeake Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 15th. This represents a $2.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.19%. Chesapeake Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.00%.

About Chesapeake Energy

Chesapeake Energy Corporation operates as an independent exploration and production company in the United States. It engages in acquisition, exploration, and development of properties to produce oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids from underground reservoirs. 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.