Ellsworth Advisors LLC Boosts Stock Position in Alliant Energy Co. (NASDAQ:LNT)

Ellsworth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Alliant Energy Co. (NASDAQ:LNT) by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 77,892 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,861 shares during the quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Alliant Energy were worth $3,996,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Financial Freedom LLC acquired a new stake in Alliant Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Clear Street Markets LLC grew its holdings in Alliant Energy by 95.3% in the 1st quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 241 shares in the last quarter. Natixis purchased a new position in shares of Alliant Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA acquired a new position in shares of Alliant Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Authentikos Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Alliant Energy in the third quarter valued at about $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.90% of the company’s stock.

Alliant Energy Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ LNT traded up $0.63 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $50.40. 2,540,569 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,950,445. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $48.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $49.62. The company has a market cap of $12.91 billion, a PE ratio of 18.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.55. Alliant Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $45.15 and a twelve month high of $56.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.40.

Alliant Energy (NASDAQ:LNT) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 16th. The company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by ($0.07). Alliant Energy had a net margin of 17.46% and a return on equity of 10.85%. The company had revenue of $961.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.25 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.46 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Alliant Energy Co. will post 3.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alliant Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 31st were given a $0.48 dividend. This is an increase from Alliant Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, January 30th. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.81%. Alliant Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 69.06%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on LNT shares. BMO Capital Markets lowered shares of Alliant Energy from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Thursday, January 11th. Barclays reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $53.00 price target (up from $50.00) on shares of Alliant Energy in a research note on Tuesday, January 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $54.06.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Lisa M. Barton purchased 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $48.56 per share, for a total transaction of $53,416.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 36,444 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,769,720.64. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Alliant Energy

Alliant Energy Corporation operates as a utility holding company that provides regulated electricity and natural gas services in the United States. It operates in three segments: Utility Electric Operations, Utility Gas Operations, and Utility Other. The company, through its subsidiary, Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), primarily generates and distributes electricity, and distributes and transports natural gas to retail customers in Iowa; sells electricity to wholesale customers in Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa; and generates and distributes steam in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.