WealthPlan Investment Management LLC Sells 6,811 Shares of A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS)

WealthPlan Investment Management LLC lessened its position in shares of A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS - Free Report) by 18.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 29,395 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 6,811 shares during the period. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC's holdings in A. O. Smith were worth $2,005,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of AOS. State Street Corp raised its position in A. O. Smith by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,721,581 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $693,630,000 after purchasing an additional 299,766 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,586,905 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $321,348,000 after purchasing an additional 52,593 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 2,302,659 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $206,848,000 after purchasing an additional 87,458 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith by 40.1% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,648,825 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $112,467,000 after purchasing an additional 471,990 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its stake in A. O. Smith by 7.9% in the 3rd quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,137,184 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $102,153,000 after acquiring an additional 83,495 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.10% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at A. O. Smith

In related news, SVP Douglas Samuel Karge sold 419 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 in the company, valued at approximately $180,471.85. This represents a 13.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Robert J. Heideman sold 1,026 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.65, for a total value of $67,356.90. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 8,889 shares in the company, valued at approximately $583,562.85. This trade represents a 10.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

A. O. Smith Stock Performance

Shares of AOS traded up $1.71 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $67.43. 2,437,450 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,486,295. A. O. Smith Co. has a 1-year low of $64.55 and a 1-year high of $92.44. The business's 50 day moving average price is $68.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $75.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.78 billion, a PE ratio of 18.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.17.

A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.90 by ($0.05). A. O. Smith had a net margin of 13.98% and a return on equity of 28.87%. Equities research analysts predict that A. O. Smith Co. will post 3.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

A. O. Smith Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 31st were given a $0.34 dividend. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.02%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 31st. A. O. Smith's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.47%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on AOS. StockNews.com raised shares of A. O. Smith from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of A. O. Smith from $78.00 to $73.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 13th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of A. O. Smith from $90.00 to $84.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on shares of A. O. Smith from $88.00 to $84.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of A. O. Smith in a research report on Saturday, February 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $80.86.

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.