Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI Takes $386,000 Position in Avery Dennison Co. (NYSE:AVY)

Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI bought a new stake in shares of Avery Dennison Co. (NYSE:AVY - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 2,057 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $386,000.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in Avery Dennison by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 142 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank bought a new position in shares of Avery Dennison in the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. Regents Gate Capital LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Avery Dennison during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Avery Dennison during the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Spire Wealth Management raised its holdings in Avery Dennison by 76.0% in the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 301 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. 94.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Avery Dennison Price Performance

NYSE:AVY traded up $1.54 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $183.94. 1,195,522 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 753,032. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $186.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $200.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10. The company has a market cap of $14.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.85. Avery Dennison Co. has a 1 year low of $178.72 and a 1 year high of $233.48.

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Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.39 by ($0.01). Avery Dennison had a return on equity of 33.06% and a net margin of 8.05%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Avery Dennison Co. will post 9.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Avery Dennison Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 5th will be issued a $0.88 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 5th. This represents a $3.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.91%. Avery Dennison's dividend payout ratio is presently 40.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AVY has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Avery Dennison from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $210.00 to $205.00 in a report on Friday, January 31st. Raymond James reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $208.00 price objective (down from $218.00) on shares of Avery Dennison in a report on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Avery Dennison from $228.00 to $202.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. BMO Capital Markets set a $226.00 price target on shares of Avery Dennison in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Avery Dennison from $238.00 to $220.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $222.51.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Chairman Mitchell R. Butier sold 12,969 shares of Avery Dennison stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $181.85, for a total transaction of $2,358,412.65. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 303,331 shares in the company, valued at $55,160,742.35. This trade represents a 4.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Avery Dennison Company Profile

Avery Dennison Corporation operates as a materials science and digital identification solutions company in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, Latin, America, and internationally. It provides pressure-sensitive materials comprising papers, plastic films, metal foils, and fabrics; performance tapes products, including tapes for wire harnessing, as well as cable wrapping for automotive, electrical, and general industrial applications; mechanical fasteners, which are precision-extruded and injection-molded plastic devices used in various automotive, general industrial, and retail applications; and other pressure-sensitive adhesive-based materials and converted products under the Fasson, JAC, Yongle, and Avery Dennison brands.