A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS) Shares Sold by Loudon Investment Management LLC

Loudon Investment Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS) by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,396 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 175 shares during the quarter. Loudon Investment Management LLC’s holdings in A. O. Smith were worth $278,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AOS. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in A. O. Smith in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,644,000. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its stake in A. O. Smith by 6.7% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 17,751 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,463,000 after acquiring an additional 1,108 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of A. O. Smith by 19.9% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 100,447 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $8,281,000 after purchasing an additional 16,643 shares in the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank boosted its position in shares of A. O. Smith by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 42,896 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,536,000 after purchasing an additional 419 shares during the period. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. grew its position in shares of A. O. Smith by 15.0% during the fourth quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 2,837 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $234,000 after acquiring an additional 370 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.10% of the company’s stock.

A. O. Smith Price Performance

Shares of AOS traded down $0.95 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $76.91. 864,869 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 939,155. A. O. Smith Co. has a 52-week low of $64.14 and a 52-week high of $92.44. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $82.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $84.05. The company has a market cap of $11.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.92, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.15.

A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The industrial products company reported $1.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.07 by ($0.01). A. O. Smith had a net margin of 14.67% and a return on equity of 31.04%. The company had revenue of $1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.01 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that A. O. Smith Co. will post 4.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

A. O. Smith Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 31st were paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 31st. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.66%. A. O. Smith’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling at A. O. Smith

In related news, SVP Samuel M. Carver sold 14,705 shares of A. O. Smith stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total value of $1,191,105.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,399 shares in the company, valued at $194,319. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 2.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AOS has been the topic of a number of research reports. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on A. O. Smith from $92.00 to $90.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of A. O. Smith from $73.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, July 8th. StockNews.com raised A. O. Smith from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upgraded A. O. Smith from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $97.00 to $98.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $89.67.

About A. O. Smith

A. O. Smith Corporation manufactures and markets residential and commercial gas and electric water heaters, boilers, heat pumps, tanks, and water treatment products in North America, China, Europe, and India. The company offers water heaters for residences, restaurants, hotels, office buildings, laundries, car washes, and small businesses; boilers for hospitals, schools, hotels, and other large commercial buildings, as well as homes, apartments, and condominiums; and water treatment products comprising point-of-entry water softeners, well water solutions, and whole-home water filtration products, and point-of-use carbon and reverse osmosis products for residences, restaurants, hotels, and offices.