Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Has $1.22 Million Holdings in Allegion plc (NYSE:ALLE)

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its position in Allegion plc (NYSE:ALLE) by 7.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 9,358 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 613 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in Allegion were worth $1,223,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ALLE. Impact Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Allegion during the 4th quarter worth about $509,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Allegion in the fourth quarter worth approximately $11,601,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Allegion by 9.8% during the fourth quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 4,107 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $537,000 after purchasing an additional 365 shares during the period. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. purchased a new position in Allegion during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $20,913,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in Allegion by 12.8% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,162 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $152,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the period. 92.21% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Allegion Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ALLE opened at $128.32 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.82, a P/E/G ratio of 3.97 and a beta of 1.11. The business has a 50-day moving average of $129.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $136.25. Allegion plc has a fifty-two week low of $113.27 and a fifty-two week high of $156.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.43.

Allegion (NYSE:ALLE) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.11. Allegion had a return on equity of 45.12% and a net margin of 15.84%. The firm had revenue of $945.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $938.91 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that Allegion plc will post 7.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Allegion Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Allegion’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.59%. Allegion’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.91%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on ALLE shares. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Allegion from $130.00 to $126.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Allegion from $140.00 to $135.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Allegion from $152.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. StockNews.com downgraded Allegion from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Allegion from $137.00 to $139.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $137.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Allegion news, Director Gregg C. Sengstack acquired 8,000 shares of Allegion stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $125.24 per share, with a total value of $1,001,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 8,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,001,920. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Nickolas A. Musial sold 403 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.70, for a total transaction of $50,254.10. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 4,972 shares in the company, valued at $620,008.40. This trade represents a 7.50 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 3,224 shares of company stock worth $406,636 in the last quarter. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Allegion Company Profile

Allegion plc manufactures and sells mechanical and electronic security products and solutions worldwide. The company offers door controls and systems and exit devices; locks, locksets, portable locks, and key systems and services; electronic security products and access control systems; time, attendance, and workforce productivity systems; doors, accessories, and other.