American Century Companies Inc. Grows Stock Position in A. O. Smith Corporation $AOS

American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS) by 54.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,208,831 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,128,543 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned 2.30% of A. O. Smith worth $235,560,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Huntington National Bank increased its stake in shares of A. O. Smith by 49.1% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,345 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $99,000 after acquiring an additional 443 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd lifted its position in A. O. Smith by 65.9% in the third quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 720 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 286 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its position in A. O. Smith by 128.5% during the 3rd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 53,700 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,942,000 after purchasing an additional 30,200 shares during the period. Choreo LLC grew its holdings in A. O. Smith by 24.8% during the third quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 4,587 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $337,000 after acquiring an additional 912 shares during the period. Finally, Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in A. O. Smith in the third quarter worth $224,000. 76.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Darrell W. Schuh sold 356 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.89, for a total transaction of $28,440.84. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 3,295 shares in the company, valued at approximately $263,237.55. This trade represents a 9.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.76% of the company’s stock.

A. O. Smith Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:AOS opened at $77.92 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. A. O. Smith Corporation has a 52-week low of $58.83 and a 52-week high of $81.86. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $73.30 and its 200-day simple moving average is $70.77. The company has a market capitalization of $10.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.36.

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

A. O. Smith Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were paid a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. A. O. Smith’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.31%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of A. O. Smith from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $85.00 target price on shares of A. O. Smith and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of A. O. Smith in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $78.00 price target (up from $72.00) on shares of A. O. Smith in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $77.00 price objective on A. O. Smith in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $77.00.

A. O. Smith Company 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.