Russell Investments Group Ltd. Acquires 685 Shares of Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:WTS)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:WTS) by 1.1% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 61,813 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 685 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Watts Water Technologies were worth $12,878,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. bought a new stake in Watts Water Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth about $395,000. Freedom Day Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Watts Water Technologies during the third quarter worth about $1,502,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its position in Watts Water Technologies by 33.8% during the third quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 16,326 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $2,821,000 after purchasing an additional 4,127 shares during the last quarter. Olympiad Research LP purchased a new position in shares of Watts Water Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth about $269,000. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System grew its position in Watts Water Technologies by 1.4% during the third quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 39,060 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $6,750,000 after buying an additional 555 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.02% of the company’s stock.

Watts Water Technologies Stock Performance

NYSE:WTS opened at $204.69 on Friday. Watts Water Technologies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $156.85 and a twelve month high of $219.52. The company has a quick ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 2.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market cap of $6.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.18, a PEG ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 0.95. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $204.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $198.93.

Watts Water Technologies (NYSE:WTS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 12th. The technology company reported $1.97 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $547.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $532.58 million. Watts Water Technologies had a net margin of 12.75% and a return on equity of 19.38%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.60 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Watts Water Technologies, Inc. will post 8.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Watts Water Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 1st were given a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.70%. Watts Water Technologies’s payout ratio is 18.41%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on WTS shares. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Watts Water Technologies from $191.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Watts Water Technologies from $206.00 to $209.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 17th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $191.20.

Insider Transactions at Watts Water Technologies

In related news, major shareholder Timothy P. Horne sold 764 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.00, for a total transaction of $152,036.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 14,236 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,832,964. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, major shareholder Timothy P. Horne sold 764 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.00, for a total value of $152,036.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 14,236 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,832,964. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Virginia A. Halloran sold 1,520 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $202.11, for a total transaction of $307,207.20. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 14,818 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,994,865.98. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 5,113 shares of company stock worth $1,023,106. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Watts Water Technologies

Watts Water Technologies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, supplies products and solutions that manage and conserve the flow of fluids and energy into, through, and out of buildings in the commercial, industrial, and residential markets in the Americas, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.