Mediolanum International Funds Ltd Purchases 2,962 Shares of Avery Dennison Co. (NYSE:AVY)

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd boosted its holdings in Avery Dennison Co. (NYSE:AVY - Free Report) by 21.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,573 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,962 shares during the quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd's holdings in Avery Dennison were worth $3,096,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of AVY. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its position in shares of Avery Dennison by 485.2% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 35,630 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $6,715,000 after purchasing an additional 29,541 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Avery Dennison by 6.8% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,416,798 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $312,772,000 after buying an additional 90,250 shares during the period. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Avery Dennison by 553.5% in the third quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,137 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $693,000 after acquiring an additional 2,657 shares in the last quarter. Meyer Handelman Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Avery Dennison in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $4,263,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Avery Dennison by 12.4% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 420,232 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $92,771,000 after purchasing an additional 46,390 shares during the period. 94.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Avery Dennison

In other news, SVP Nicholas Colisto sold 3,679 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $206.00, for a total transaction of $757,874.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 7,126 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,467,956. This trade represents a 34.05 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Avery Dennison Stock Performance

AVY stock traded up $1.92 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $184.54. 940,847 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 796,372. 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 business has a 50-day moving average of $192.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $205.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.83 billion, a PE ratio of 21.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.89. Avery Dennison Co. has a 52 week low of $179.20 and a 52 week high of $233.48.

Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.38 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%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Avery Dennison Co. will post 10.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Avery Dennison Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 5th will be given a dividend of $0.88 per share. This represents a $3.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.91%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 5th. Avery Dennison's dividend payout ratio is currently 40.37%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AVY has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group decreased their target price on Avery Dennison from $235.00 to $207.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Citigroup dropped their target price on Avery Dennison from $228.00 to $202.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com cut shares of Avery Dennison from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Avery Dennison from $238.00 to $220.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Avery Dennison from $245.00 to $225.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday. 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, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $227.15.

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.