Entropy Technologies LP Takes Position in A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS)

Entropy Technologies LP bought a new position in A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 16,502 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,126,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Huntington National Bank lifted its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith by 19.8% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 812 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $73,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith by 12.5% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,227 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $110,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith by 5.0% during the third quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 2,989 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $269,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith by 5.1% during the third quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,240 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $291,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Glenmede Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith by 4.3% during the third quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 3,992 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $359,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. 76.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

A. O. Smith Price Performance

NYSE:AOS traded up $0.22 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $66.22. The company had a trading volume of 1,719,948 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,454,528. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $69.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $75.99. A. O. Smith Co. has a one year low of $64.55 and a one year high of $92.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.60 billion, a PE ratio of 18.24, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10.

A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.85 earnings per share 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%. Analysts forecast that A. O. Smith Co. will post 3.77 earnings per share for the current year.

A. O. Smith Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 31st will be given a $0.34 dividend. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 31st. A. O. Smith's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.47%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on AOS shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of A. O. Smith in a report on Saturday, February 1st. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on A. O. Smith from $88.00 to $84.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. UBS Group lowered their price objective on A. O. Smith from $80.00 to $74.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup lowered their price objective on A. O. Smith from $78.00 to $73.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Finally, DA Davidson cut A. O. Smith from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $80.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, A. O. Smith currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $80.86.

Insider Buying and Selling at A. O. Smith

In other A. O. Smith news, SVP Douglas Samuel Karge sold 419 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.65, for a total value of $27,507.35. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Robert J. Heideman sold 1,026 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.65, for a total value of $67,356.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 8,889 shares in the company, valued at approximately $583,562.85. This represents a 10.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 2.70% of the company's stock.

A. O. Smith Company Profile

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.