A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS) Shares Acquired by Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS - Free Report) by 192.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 90,221 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 59,408 shares during the period. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.06% of A. O. Smith worth $6,154,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new stake in A. O. Smith during the 4th quarter worth approximately $60,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of A. O. Smith during the fourth quarter worth $66,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its position in A. O. Smith by 40.0% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,299 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $89,000 after buying an additional 371 shares during the last quarter. Kieckhefer Group LLC acquired a new position in A. O. Smith in the 4th quarter valued at $123,000. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of A. O. Smith in the 4th quarter worth $209,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.10% of the company's stock.

A. O. Smith Price Performance

A. O. Smith stock traded down $1.74 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $61.92. The stock had a trading volume of 1,853,079 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,095,425. A. O. Smith Co. has a 1-year low of $61.59 and a 1-year high of $92.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.06, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.26. The stock's fifty day moving average is $66.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $72.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 0.96.

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A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.90 by ($0.05). A. O. Smith had a net margin of 13.98% and a return on equity of 28.87%. As a group, analysts predict that A. O. Smith Co. will post 3.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A. O. Smith Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 18th. Investors of record on Friday, January 31st were given a dividend of $0.34 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 31st. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.20%. A. O. Smith's dividend payout ratio is currently 37.47%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AOS has been the subject of several analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of A. O. Smith from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Oppenheimer cut their target price on A. O. Smith from $88.00 to $84.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup decreased their price target on A. O. Smith from $78.00 to $73.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 13th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on A. O. Smith from $80.00 to $74.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of A. O. Smith in a report on Saturday, March 22nd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $80.86.

Insider Activity at A. O. Smith

In related news, SVP Douglas Samuel Karge sold 419 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.65, for a total value of $27,507.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,749 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $180,471.85. The trade was a 13.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Robert J. Heideman sold 1,026 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.65, for a total transaction of $67,356.90. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 8,889 shares in the company, valued at $583,562.85. This represents a 10.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.76% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About A. O. Smith

A. O. Smith Corporation manufactures and markets residential and commercial gas and electric water heaters, boilers, heat pumps, tanks, and water treatment products in North America, China, Europe, and India. The company offers water heaters for residences, restaurants, hotels, office buildings, laundries, car washes, and small businesses; boilers for hospitals, schools, hotels, and other large commercial buildings, as well as homes, apartments, and condominiums; and water treatment products comprising point-of-entry water softeners, well water solutions, and whole-home water filtration products, and point-of-use carbon and reverse osmosis products for residences, restaurants, hotels, and offices.