Values First Advisors Inc. Buys New Shares in Hubbell Incorporated (NYSE:HUBB)

Values First Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Hubbell Incorporated (NYSE:HUBB) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 414 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $174,000.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of HUBB. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hubbell during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Hubbell during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Hubbell by 64.6% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 79 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Hubbell in the 3rd quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hubbell during the 3rd quarter worth about $58,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.16% of the company’s stock.

Hubbell Stock Performance

Shares of HUBB stock opened at $391.07 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $430.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $423.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.99 billion, a PE ratio of 27.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.92. Hubbell Incorporated has a 52-week low of $346.13 and a 52-week high of $481.35.

Hubbell (NYSE:HUBB) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The industrial products company reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.02 by $0.08. Hubbell had a return on equity of 28.62% and a net margin of 13.82%. The business had revenue of $1.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.41 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.69 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Hubbell Incorporated will post 17.63 EPS for the current year.

Hubbell Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a dividend of $1.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $5.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.35%. Hubbell’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.77%.

Hubbell declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Wednesday, February 12th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the industrial products company to buy up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on HUBB shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Hubbell from $455.00 to $450.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Hubbell from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $493.00 to $473.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Hubbell from $450.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Hubbell from $407.00 to $445.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on Hubbell in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $535.00 price target on the stock. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $471.50.

About Hubbell

Hubbell Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells electrical and utility solutions in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Electrical Solutions and Utility Solutions. The Electrical Solution segment offers standard and special application wiring device products, rough-in electrical products, connector and grounding products, lighting fixtures, and other electrical equipment for use in industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities by electrical contractors, maintenance personnel, electricians, utilities, and telecommunications companies, as well as components and assemblies.