Consolidated Edison Traded at 385th in Volume as Shares Rise 0.15% with Mixed Institutional and Analyst Outlooks

On August 22, 2025, Consolidated Edison (ED) traded with a volume of $280 million, ranking 385th in market activity. The stock closed with a 0.15% increase, aligning with broader utility sector stability amid mixed market sentiment.

Institutional activity highlighted shifting investor confidence. Ethos Financial Group LLC acquired 15,648 shares in Q1, while Hsbc Holdings PLC reduced its stake by 21.5%, trimming holdings to 1.29 million shares valued at $142.9 million. Smaller institutional players, including Alpine Bank Wealth Management and Financial Network Wealth Advisors, also added modest positions in the first quarter, reflecting cautious accumulation.

Analyst sentiment remained divided. Barclays and Morgan Stanley assigned "underweight" ratings, while KeyCorp and Scotiabank maintained "overweight" and "sector perform" designations. Guggenheim raised its price target to $103 from $96, and Wells Fargo increased its target to $114. The stock carries a "Hold" consensus rating with an average target of $105.82, balancing bearish and bullish outlooks.

Financial performance underscored defensive appeal. ED reported Q2 EPS of $0.67, exceeding estimates, and maintained a 3.4% dividend yield with a $0.85 per share payout. The company’s 61.71% payout ratio and 18.34 P/E multiple position it as a stable, income-focused holding in a low-growth utility sector.

Backtesting a volume-based trading strategy (top 500 stocks by daily volume, one-day holding) from December 2022 to August 2025 yielded a $2,253.88 profit, with a 1.79 Sharpe ratio and a maximum drawdown of -$1,025.71, indicating moderate risk-adjusted returns for the approach.