Retirement Systems of Alabama Lowers Holdings in A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS)

Retirement Systems of Alabama trimmed its position in A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS) by 2.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 25,789 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 531 shares during the quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama’s holdings in A. O. Smith were worth $1,759,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Waldron Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in A. O. Smith during the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC bought a new stake in A. O. Smith during the third quarter worth approximately $37,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in A. O. Smith during the third quarter worth approximately $43,000. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new stake in A. O. Smith during the third quarter worth approximately $55,000. Finally, Huntington National Bank increased its stake in A. O. Smith by 19.8% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 812 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $73,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. 76.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

A. O. Smith Stock Up 0.4 %

A. O. Smith stock opened at $65.97 on Wednesday. A. O. Smith Co. has a twelve month low of $64.94 and a twelve month high of $92.44. The business has a fifty day moving average of $69.51 and a two-hundred day moving average of $76.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The firm has a market cap of $9.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.17.

A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. On average, analysts forecast that A. O. Smith Co. will post 3.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A. O. Smith Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 31st will be given a dividend of $0.34 per share. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.06%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 31st. A. O. Smith’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.47%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other A. O. Smith news, SVP Douglas Samuel Karge sold 419 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.65, for a total transaction of $27,507.35. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,749 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $180,471.85. This trade represents a 13.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Robert J. Heideman sold 1,026 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.65, for a total transaction of $67,356.90. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 8,889 shares in the company, valued at approximately $583,562.85. The trade was a 10.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AOS has been the topic of several analyst reports. DA Davidson cut A. O. Smith from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $80.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on 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. Citigroup cut their target price on A. O. Smith from $78.00 to $73.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on A. O. Smith from $82.00 to $81.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their price target on A. O. Smith from $88.00 to $84.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target 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.