Watts Water Technologies (NYSE:WTS) Upgraded at Northcoast Research

Watts Water Technologies (NYSE:WTS - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Northcoast Research from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a $225.00 price objective on the technology company's stock. Northcoast Research's price objective indicates a potential upside of 15.00% from the company's previous close.

WTS has been the subject of several other reports. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Watts Water Technologies from $225.00 to $199.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Watts Water Technologies from $217.00 to $202.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Watts Water Technologies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $200.25.

Watts Water Technologies Stock Performance

NYSE WTS traded up $1.98 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $195.66. The stock had a trading volume of 108,350 shares, compared to its average volume of 145,152. Watts Water Technologies has a 52-week low of $175.37 and a 52-week high of $219.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.55. The stock has a market cap of $6.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.90. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $200.02 and a 200 day moving average of $197.17.

Watts Water Technologies (NYSE:WTS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The technology company reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.99 by $0.04. Watts Water Technologies had a net margin of 12.37% and a return on equity of 18.49%. The business had revenue of $543.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $541.83 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.04 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Watts Water Technologies will post 8.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Michael J. Dubose sold 315 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.93, for a total value of $58,567.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,755 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $512,237.15. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Elie Melhem sold 1,710 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.16, for a total value of $316,623.60. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 11,516 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,132,302.56. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Michael J. Dubose sold 315 shares of Watts Water Technologies stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.93, for a total value of $58,567.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,755 shares in the company, valued at $512,237.15. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Watts Water Technologies

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WTS. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Watts Water Technologies during the third quarter worth $30,000. Gradient Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Watts Water Technologies in the second quarter valued at $31,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Watts Water Technologies by 520.5% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 273 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Watts Water Technologies during the 1st quarter worth $53,000. 95.02% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Watts Water Technologies Company Profile

Watts Water Technologies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, supplies products and solutions that manage and conserve the flow of fluids and energy into, through, and out of buildings in the commercial, industrial, and residential markets in the Americas, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.