Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE:DEC) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE:DEC) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $22.50.

Several analysts recently issued reports on DEC shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Diversified Energy from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Diversified Energy to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Diversified Energy from $19.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Diversified Energy from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Mizuho set a $32.00 price objective on shares of Diversified Energy in a report on Monday, August 10th.

Diversified Energy Stock Down 2.1%

DEC opened at $14.75 on Monday. Diversified Energy has a 1-year low of $12.33 and a 1-year high of $18.90. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $13.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $14.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.96. The stock has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a PE ratio of 4.57 and a beta of -0.38.

Diversified Energy (NYSE:DEC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.29) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.20 by ($0.49). The business had revenue of $442.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $492.98 million. As a group, research analysts expect that Diversified Energy will post 2.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Diversified Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 2nd will be given a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.9%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 2nd. Diversified Energy’s payout ratio is presently 35.91%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Diversified Energy

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in DEC. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in Diversified Energy by 1,758.4% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 1,140,789 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,811,000 after acquiring an additional 1,079,404 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Diversified Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Diversified Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $259,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of Diversified Energy by 197.0% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 4,909 shares of the company’s stock worth $68,000 after purchasing an additional 3,256 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Southern Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Diversified Energy in the first quarter worth $212,000. 26.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Diversified Energy

Diversified Energy Company PLC (NYSE: DEC) is an independent oil and natural gas producer focused on the acquisition and optimization of legacy onshore assets in the United States. The company’s portfolio spans thousands of producing wells and extensive leasehold positions across core regions such as Appalachia, the Permian Basin and the Mid-Continent. By targeting mature properties, Diversified Energy seeks to enhance long-term recovery through operational efficiencies and capital discipline.

The company’s business model centers on fee-based infrastructure and midstream services that provide stable and predictable cash flows.