Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK) Given New $125.00 Price Target at Barclays

Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK) had its target price lifted by Barclays from $120.00 to $125.00 in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the utilities provider’s stock.

Several other analysts also recently commented on CPK. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised shares of Chesapeake Utilities to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. StockNews.com upgraded Chesapeake Utilities from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $123.00.

Chesapeake Utilities Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE:CPK opened at $133.57 on Tuesday. Chesapeake Utilities has a 12-month low of $102.64 and a 12-month high of $136.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.09 and a beta of 0.66. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $128.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of $124.99.

Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The utilities provider reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.67 by ($0.04). Chesapeake Utilities had a net margin of 14.16% and a return on equity of 9.08%. The firm had revenue of $215.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $237.84 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.64 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Chesapeake Utilities will post 5.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Chesapeake Utilities Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were issued a dividend of $0.64 per share. This represents a $2.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. Chesapeake Utilities’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.58%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chesapeake Utilities

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Spire Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Chesapeake Utilities in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Federated Hermes Inc. raised its stake in Chesapeake Utilities by 587.1% during the 4th quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 213 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in Chesapeake Utilities by 2,018.2% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 233 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Chesapeake Utilities during the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Byrne Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 114.3% during the first quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC now owns 270 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. 83.11% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Chesapeake Utilities

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation operates as an energy delivery company. The company operates through two segments, Regulated Energy and Unregulated Energy. The Regulated Energy segment natural gas distribution operations in central and southern Delaware, Maryland's eastern shore, and Florida; regulated natural gas transmission in the Delmarva Peninsula, Ohio, and Florida; and regulated electric distribution in northeast and northwest Florida.