Natixis Advisors LLC Boosts Stake in Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM)

Natixis Advisors LLC increased its position in Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) by 3.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 756,218 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 25,979 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Howmet Aerospace were worth $82,708,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Howmet Aerospace by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 15,035 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,644,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Poinciana Advisors Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Howmet Aerospace in the fourth quarter worth about $233,000. First National Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Howmet Aerospace in the fourth quarter worth about $2,233,000. Postrock Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Howmet Aerospace in the fourth quarter worth about $202,000. Finally, LBP AM SA purchased a new stake in shares of Howmet Aerospace in the fourth quarter worth about $4,941,000. 90.46% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Howmet Aerospace Stock Up 3.1 %

Shares of NYSE:HWM opened at $126.56 on Friday. Howmet Aerospace Inc. has a 52-week low of $62.80 and a 52-week high of $140.55. The stock has a market cap of $51.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.54. The business’s 50 day moving average is $126.39 and its 200 day moving average is $113.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 2.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74.

Howmet Aerospace (NYSE:HWM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The company reported $0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $1.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.88 billion. Howmet Aerospace had a return on equity of 25.74% and a net margin of 15.55%. Sell-side analysts predict that Howmet Aerospace Inc. will post 3.27 EPS for the current year.

Howmet Aerospace Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.32%. This is a positive change from Howmet Aerospace’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. Howmet Aerospace’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have weighed in on HWM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Howmet Aerospace from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Howmet Aerospace from $124.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Howmet Aerospace from $125.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Howmet Aerospace from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Howmet Aerospace from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Howmet Aerospace has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $123.28.

Howmet Aerospace Profile

Howmet Aerospace Inc provides advanced engineered solutions for the aerospace and transportation industries in the United States, Japan, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy, Canada, Poland, China, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Engine Products, Fastening Systems, Engineered Structures, and Forged Wheels.