
Weiss Ratings Reaffirms "Hold (C)" Rating for A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS)

Weiss Ratings has reaffirmed a "hold (C)" rating for A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS). Other analysts have varied opinions, with Stifel Nicolaus setting a "buy" rating and a price target of $84, while Citigroup and UBS Group have lowered their targets to $73 and $74, respectively. A. O. Smith's stock is currently down 1.6%, trading at $59.65, with a market cap of $8.59 billion. The company reported an EPS of $0.85, missing estimates. Recent insider sales have also been noted, with a small percentage of stock owned by insiders.
A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold (c)" rating reaffirmed by equities researchers at Weiss Ratings in a report issued on Tuesday,Weiss Ratings reports.
Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of A. O. Smith from $90.00 to $84.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. StockNews.com raised A. O. Smith from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup decreased their target price on A. O. Smith from $78.00 to $73.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on A. O. Smith from $88.00 to $84.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on A. O. Smith from $80.00 to $74.00 and set a "neutral" 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 given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $80.86.
View Our Latest Research Report on A. O. Smith
A. O. Smith Stock Down 1.6 %
Shares of NYSE AOS opened at $59.65 on Tuesday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $8.59 billion, a PE ratio of 16.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.26. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $65.99 and a 200-day moving average of $71.91. A. O. Smith has a 52-week low of $59.12 and a 52-week high of $92.45.
A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.90 by ($0.05). A. O. Smith had a return on equity of 28.87% and a net margin of 13.98%. On average, analysts anticipate that A. O. Smith will post 3.76 EPS for the current year.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other A. O. Smith news, VP Robert J. Heideman sold 1,026 shares of A. O. Smith stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 8,889 shares of the company's stock, valued at $583,562.85. The trade was a 10.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Douglas Samuel Karge sold 419 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 in the company, valued at $180,471.85. This trade represents a 13.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.76% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Greenleaf Trust boosted its stake in A. O. Smith by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 5,873 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $401,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 34,838 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,376,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp boosted its position in A. O. Smith by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 6,785 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $609,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the period. Advisory Alpha LLC grew its stake in A. O. Smith by 8.6% during the 4th quarter. Advisory Alpha LLC now owns 3,454 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $236,000 after buying an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. Finally, United Asset Strategies Inc. increased its position in A. O. Smith by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc. now owns 9,198 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $627,000 after buying an additional 293 shares during the period. 76.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
A. O. Smith Company Profile
(Get Free Report)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.
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