Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Has $7.12 Million Stock Holdings in A. O. Smith Corporation $AOS

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS) by 113.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 106,506 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 56,725 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned about 0.08% of A. O. Smith worth $7,123,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of A. O. Smith in the second quarter valued at approximately $91,939,000. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in shares of A. O. Smith by 54.2% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,208,831 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $235,560,000 after purchasing an additional 1,128,543 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd boosted its holdings in A. O. Smith by 655.5% during the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 710,716 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $46,602,000 after purchasing an additional 616,638 shares during the last quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec boosted its holdings in A. O. Smith by 530.1% during the third quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 633,407 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $46,498,000 after purchasing an additional 532,875 shares during the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its position in A. O. Smith by 521.1% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 581,070 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $38,101,000 after purchasing an additional 487,513 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.10% of the company’s stock.

A. O. Smith Stock Performance

Shares of AOS opened at $64.37 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $8.90 billion, a PE ratio of 16.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.33. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $72.97 and a 200-day moving average of $70.19. A. O. Smith Corporation has a one year low of $58.83 and a one year high of $81.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 1.50 and a quick ratio of 0.94.

A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $0.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $912.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $928.97 million. A. O. Smith had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 29.51%. A. O. Smith’s quarterly revenue was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.85 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that A. O. Smith Corporation will post 3.76 earnings per share for the current year.

A. O. Smith Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. A. O. Smith’s payout ratio is currently 37.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling at A. O. Smith

In related news, SVP Darrell W. Schuh sold 1,104 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.39, for a total transaction of $82,126.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 2,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $163,732.39. The trade was a 33.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus set a $85.00 price target on shares of A. O. Smith and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $75.00 price objective on shares of A. O. Smith and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $78.00 target price (up from $72.00) on shares of A. O. Smith in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of A. O. Smith in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $77.00 price target on A. O. Smith in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $77.00.

A. O. Smith Profile

A. O. Smith Corporation, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a leading manufacturer of water heating and water treatment products for residential and commercial applications. Since its founding in 1874, the company has built a reputation for producing reliable, energy-efficient water heaters, boilers and pressure vessels. Its product portfolio encompasses gas, electric, condensing and tankless water heaters, as well as specialty boilers designed to meet a variety of building and industrial needs.

The company operates through two primary segments: North America and Asia.