Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Smith & Nephew from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Smith & Nephew in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, UBS Group raised Smith & Nephew from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Scharf Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Smith & Nephew by 0.5% during the first quarter. Scharf Investments LLC now owns 2,996,264 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $75,985,000 after acquiring an additional 15,930 shares in the last quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP raised its stake in shares of Smith & Nephew by 20.5% in the 2nd quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 1,373,051 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $34,002,000 after purchasing an additional 233,293 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Smith & Nephew by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,343,712 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $36,656,000 after purchasing an additional 44,445 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its position in shares of Smith & Nephew by 355.8% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,235,916 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $31,059,000 after buying an additional 964,762 shares during the period. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its holdings in shares of Smith & Nephew by 20.9% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 1,003,050 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $27,363,000 after buying an additional 173,448 shares in the last quarter. 25.64% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Smith & Nephew Price Performance

Shares of Smith & Nephew stock opened at $30.95 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $30.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $27.06. Smith & Nephew has a twelve month low of $21.52 and a twelve month high of $31.72.

Smith & Nephew Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 8th. Investors of record on Friday, October 4th will be paid a dividend of $0.288 per share. This is a positive change from Smith & Nephew’s previous dividend of $0.24. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 4th.

Smith & Nephew Company Profile

Smith & Nephew plc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells medical devices and services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through three segments: Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine & ENT, and Advanced Wound Management. The company offers knee implant products for knee replacement procedures; hip implants for revision procedures; trauma and extremities products that include internal and external devices used in the stabilization of severe fractures and deformity correction procedures; and other reconstruction products.