Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Increases Position in Sempra (NYSE:SRE)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Sempra (NYSE:SRE) by 2.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 3,405,214 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 86,577 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned 0.54% of Sempra worth $254,472,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Monetary Management Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Sempra by 100.0% during the third quarter. Monetary Management Group Inc. now owns 400 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC grew its stake in Sempra by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 390 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 195 shares in the last quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Sempra by 100.0% during the third quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 400 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Spire Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Sempra by 85.6% during the third quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 412 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sempra in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 89.65% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sempra Stock Performance

Shares of SRE opened at $75.23 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $70.74 and a two-hundred day moving average of $71.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a current ratio of 0.54. The stock has a market cap of $47.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.70. Sempra has a one year low of $63.75 and a one year high of $78.70.

Sempra (NYSE:SRE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.35 by ($0.01). Sempra had a return on equity of 9.45% and a net margin of 18.26%. The business had revenue of $3.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.46 EPS. Sempra’s quarterly revenue was down 44.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Sempra will post 4.82 EPS for the current year.

Sempra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 21st were given a $0.62 dividend. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.30%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 20th. This is a positive change from Sempra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. Sempra’s dividend payout ratio is currently 51.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on SRE. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Sempra from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 21st. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Sempra from $77.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 14th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Sempra from $83.00 to $79.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. StockNews.com cut Sempra from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Sempra in a research note on Wednesday, March 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $82.23.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Justin Christopher Bird sold 5,063 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.22, for a total transaction of $360,586.86. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 19,712 shares in the company, valued at $1,403,888.64. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, insider Diana L. Day sold 3,937 shares of Sempra stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.21, for a total value of $280,353.77. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 18,145 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,292,105.45. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Justin Christopher Bird sold 5,063 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.22, for a total value of $360,586.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 19,712 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,403,888.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 122,432 shares of company stock valued at $8,668,035 in the last three months. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Sempra Profile

Sempra operates as an energy infrastructure company in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Sempra California, Sempra Texas Utilities, and Sempra Infrastructure. The Sempra California segment provides electric services; and natural gas services to San Diego County.