NRG Energy, Inc. $NRG Shares Sold by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. decreased its position in shares of NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) by 5.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,870,756 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 473,622 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 4.11% of NRG Energy worth $1,274,669,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in NRG Energy by 0.7% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,411,045 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $865,437,000 after purchasing an additional 39,253 shares in the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP increased its position in shares of NRG Energy by 113.3% in the second quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 1,444,271 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $231,921,000 after buying an additional 767,014 shares in the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group raised its stake in shares of NRG Energy by 7.6% during the 3rd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,225,329 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $198,442,000 after buying an additional 86,528 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its position in shares of NRG Energy by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 975,218 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $156,601,000 after buying an additional 19,997 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of NRG Energy by 36.4% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 887,413 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $142,501,000 after buying an additional 237,009 shares in the last quarter. 97.72% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NRG Energy Price Performance

NYSE:NRG opened at $155.12 on Wednesday. NRG Energy, Inc. has a 12-month low of $79.57 and a 12-month high of $189.96. The firm has a market cap of $33.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.37 and a beta of 1.26. The company’s 50-day moving average is $159.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $161.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.92.

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The utilities provider reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.15). The firm had revenue of $7.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.68 billion. NRG Energy had a return on equity of 109.48% and a net margin of 2.81%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.56 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that NRG Energy, Inc. will post 6.36 EPS for the current year.

NRG Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 2nd were paid a $0.475 dividend. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 2nd. This is an increase from NRG Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. NRG Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling at NRG Energy

In other news, VP Robert J. Gaudette sold 45,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.76, for a total transaction of $7,144,200.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 63,920 shares in the company, valued at $10,147,939.20. This trade represents a 41.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Bruce Chung sold 12,383 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.56, for a total value of $1,938,682.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 79,147 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,391,254.32. The trade was a 13.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 172,556 shares of company stock worth $27,550,446. Insiders own 0.61% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on NRG. UBS Group began coverage on shares of NRG Energy in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $211.00 target price for the company. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $225.00 price target on shares of NRG Energy in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Morgan Stanley set a $153.00 price target on shares of NRG Energy in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Zacks Research upgraded NRG Energy from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on NRG Energy from $198.00 to $181.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $196.33.

NRG Energy Company Profile

NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) is a U.S.-based integrated power company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company develops, owns and operates a diversified portfolio of power generation assets and participates in wholesale and retail energy markets. NRG supplies electricity to utilities, commercial and industrial customers, and retail consumers, while also providing energy-related products and services designed to manage consumption and support reliability.

NRG’s generation mix includes conventional thermal plants as well as renewable and distributed energy resources.