Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and thirteen have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $165.3125.

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup boosted their price target on Oshkosh from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Oshkosh from $167.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. DA Davidson lifted their target price on Oshkosh from $160.00 to $168.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Bank of America upgraded Oshkosh from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $149.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Argus reduced their price target on Oshkosh from $175.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th.

Oshkosh Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:OSK opened at $140.19 on Friday. Oshkosh has a 12 month low of $76.82 and a 12 month high of $180.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $158.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $140.91. The firm has a market cap of $8.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.99, a PEG ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.37.

Oshkosh (NYSE:OSK) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $2.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.33 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $2.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.60 billion. Oshkosh had a return on equity of 15.69% and a net margin of 6.21%.Oshkosh’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.58 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Oshkosh will post 10.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Oshkosh Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This is a positive change from Oshkosh’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Oshkosh’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.75%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Anupam Khare sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.07, for a total value of $676,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 13,577 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,295,463.39. This trade represents a 22.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Oshkosh

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP bought a new position in shares of Oshkosh in the 4th quarter valued at about $175,882,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Oshkosh during the fourth quarter worth about $127,907,000. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in Oshkosh by 408.7% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,213,804 shares of the company’s stock valued at $152,490,000 after purchasing an additional 975,206 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in Oshkosh by 908.0% during the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 913,497 shares of the company’s stock valued at $118,481,000 after purchasing an additional 822,874 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors grew its stake in Oshkosh by 143.9% in the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 1,193,156 shares of the company’s stock valued at $149,896,000 after purchasing an additional 704,022 shares in the last quarter. 92.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Oshkosh

Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of specialty trucks, military vehicles and access equipment. The company’s offerings span critical end markets, including defense, fire and emergency services, commercial construction and industrial sectors. By combining engineering expertise with advanced technologies, Oshkosh delivers solutions that enhance mobility, safety and productivity for its customers.

Founded in 1917 and headquartered in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the company has evolved from producing heavy-duty dump trucks to a diversified portfolio of products and services.