Bahl & Gaynor Inc. Lowers Holdings in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR)

Bahl & Gaynor Inc. cut its holdings in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR) by 2.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 156,313 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 3,240 shares during the period. Bahl & Gaynor Inc.’s holdings in Emerson Electric were worth $19,372,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EMR. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB boosted its position in shares of Emerson Electric by 120.1% during the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 56,341 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $6,162,000 after acquiring an additional 30,741 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Emerson Electric by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 11,453,075 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,247,570,000 after acquiring an additional 162,985 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Emerson Electric by 130.0% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 9,541 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,044,000 after acquiring an additional 5,393 shares during the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Emerson Electric by 8.3% during the 4th quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 82,201 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $10,187,000 after acquiring an additional 6,321 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Proactive Wealth Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of Emerson Electric during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $443,000. 74.30% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Emerson Electric Price Performance

Shares of EMR stock opened at $113.87 on Wednesday. Emerson Electric Co. has a 1-year low of $96.62 and a 1-year high of $134.85. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $124.19 and its 200 day moving average is $118.45. The company has a market cap of $64.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.18, a PEG ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.17.

Emerson Electric (NYSE:EMR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The industrial products company reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.10. Emerson Electric had a return on equity of 12.08% and a net margin of 13.74%. Research analysts predict that Emerson Electric Co. will post 5.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Emerson Electric Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be issued a $0.5275 dividend. This represents a $2.11 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. Emerson Electric’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.36%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on EMR shares. BNP Paribas started coverage on Emerson Electric in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $155.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Emerson Electric from $137.00 to $135.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on Emerson Electric from $136.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Loop Capital raised their price target on Emerson Electric from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Emerson Electric in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $160.00 target price on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $137.26.

About Emerson Electric

Emerson Electric Co, a technology and software company, provides various solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and consumer markets in the Americas, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. It operates in six segments: Final Control, Control Systems & Software, Measurement & Analytical, AspenTech, Discrete Automation, and Safety & Productivity.