Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR) Stake Lessened by Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C.

Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. trimmed its position in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR - Free Report) by 75.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 205,261 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 629,135 shares during the quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C.'s holdings in Emerson Electric were worth $25,438,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB boosted its position in shares of Emerson Electric by 120.1% in the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 56,341 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $6,162,000 after buying an additional 30,741 shares during the period. Stokes Family Office LLC boosted its holdings in Emerson Electric by 94.8% in the 4th quarter. Stokes Family Office LLC now owns 9,206 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,141,000 after acquiring an additional 4,480 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in Emerson Electric by 8.3% in the fourth quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 82,201 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $10,187,000 after acquiring an additional 6,321 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors raised its stake in shares of Emerson Electric by 41.2% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 20,823 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,581,000 after purchasing an additional 6,079 shares during the period. Finally, Howland Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Emerson Electric by 13.0% in the fourth quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC now owns 26,494 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $3,283,000 after purchasing an additional 3,054 shares during the period. 74.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Emerson Electric Stock Performance

EMR stock traded up $0.65 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $105.15. The company had a trading volume of 1,635,309 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,936,618. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $108.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $118.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.29 billion, a PE ratio of 25.10, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.28. Emerson Electric Co. has a fifty-two week low of $90.06 and a fifty-two week high of $134.85.

Emerson Electric (NYSE:EMR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The industrial products company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.10. Emerson Electric had a return on equity of 12.08% and a net margin of 13.74%. Analysts anticipate that Emerson Electric Co. will post 5.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Emerson Electric Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th were paid a dividend of $0.5275 per share. This represents a $2.11 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.01%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. Emerson Electric's payout ratio is 50.36%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on EMR. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Emerson Electric from $140.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Daiwa America raised Emerson Electric to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Emerson Electric from $105.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Barclays reduced their target price on Emerson Electric from $105.00 to $99.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $138.00 price target on shares of Emerson Electric in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.67.

Emerson Electric Company Profile

Emerson Electric Co, a technology and software company, provides various solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and consumer markets in the Americas, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. It operates in six segments: Final Control, Control Systems & Software, Measurement & Analytical, AspenTech, Discrete Automation, and Safety & Productivity.