Natixis Advisors L.P. Lowers Position in KBR, Inc. (NYSE:KBR)

Natixis Advisors L.P. lessened its holdings in KBR, Inc. (NYSE:KBR) by 15.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 34,506 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 6,135 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P.’s holdings in KBR were worth $1,900,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of KBR by 0.3% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,250,269 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $725,188,000 after buying an additional 39,673 shares in the last quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of KBR by 1.5% in the second quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 4,472,312 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $216,415,000 after buying an additional 64,012 shares in the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC raised its position in shares of KBR by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 2,166,475 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $114,326,000 after buying an additional 92,212 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. raised its position in KBR by 7.5% during the first quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 1,903,882 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $104,809,000 after purchasing an additional 132,541 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in KBR by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,853,568 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $97,868,000 after purchasing an additional 71,348 shares in the last quarter.

KBR Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KBR opened at $62.27 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. KBR, Inc. has a 12-month low of $41.96 and a 12-month high of $65.87. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $62.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $59.17.

KBR (NYSE:KBR) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The construction company reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.75 billion. KBR had a positive return on equity of 24.94% and a negative net margin of 1.46%. KBR’s quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.76 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that KBR, Inc. will post 2.9 EPS for the current year.

KBR Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 16th. Investors of record on Friday, September 15th will be paid a $0.135 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 14th. This represents a $0.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.87%. KBR’s payout ratio is presently -58.06%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

KBR has been the topic of a number of research reports. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on KBR from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 18th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on KBR in a research report on Thursday, August 17th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. TheStreet downgraded KBR from a “b+” rating to a “c” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 27th. Citigroup raised their price target on KBR from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 24th. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price objective on KBR from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 31st. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $69.43.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider William Byron Jr. Bright sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.68, for a total value of $1,213,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 57,986 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,518,590.48. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other KBR news, insider William Byron Jr. Bright sold 20,000 shares of KBR stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.68, for a total transaction of $1,213,600.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 57,986 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,518,590.48. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Myles sold 480 shares of KBR stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.32, for a total value of $31,353.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,520 shares in the company, valued at $948,446.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

KBR Profile

KBR, Inc provides scientific, technology, and engineering solutions to governments and commercial customers worldwide. The company operates through Government Solutions and Sustainable Technology Solutions segments. The Government Solutions segment offers life-cycle support solutions to defense, intelligence, space, aviation, and other programs and missions for military and other government agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.