Avery Dennison Corporation $AVY Stock: Willis Investment Counsel Boosts Stake

Key Points

• Willis Investment Counsel increased its Avery Dennison stake by 57.2% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 54,310 shares valued at approximately $9.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.17% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with seven Buy ratings and three Holds; Avery Dennison has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $199.10.
• Avery Dennison exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $2.89 in EPS versus the $2.47 consensus and $2.46 billion in revenue. The company also maintains a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per share, representing a 2.3% yield.

Willis Investment Counsel boosted its position in Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE:AVY - Free Report) by 57.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 54,310 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 19,752 shares during the quarter. Willis Investment Counsel owned approximately 0.07% of Avery Dennison worth $9,269,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AVY. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its position in shares of Avery Dennison by 60.6% in the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 14,740 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,516,000 after purchasing an additional 5,563 shares in the last quarter. Family Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Avery Dennison in the 3rd quarter valued at about $128,000. CWA Asset Management Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Avery Dennison during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $131,000. Investment Research Partners LLC bought a new position in Avery Dennison during the third quarter worth $224,000. Finally, Kaufman Rossin Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Avery Dennison during the 3rd quarter worth about $128,000. Institutional investors own 94.17% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on AVY. UBS Group upped their price objective on Avery Dennison from $218.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Avery Dennison from $184.00 to $186.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Bank of America reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Avery Dennison in a research note on Friday, August 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Avery Dennison from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Avery Dennison from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $199.10.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Ignacio Walker sold 1,742 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.61, for a total value of $298,944.62. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 7,585 shares in the company, valued at $1,301,661.85. This represents a 18.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Nicholas Colisto sold 3,886 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.68, for a total transaction of $663,262.48. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 7,126 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,216,265.68. This represents a 35.29% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.81% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Avery Dennison Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AVY traded up $1.87 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $177.43. 142,114 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 741,148. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. The company has a market capitalization of $13.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.79. Avery Dennison Corporation has a 1-year low of $152.42 and a 1-year high of $199.54. The business's 50 day moving average is $173.84 and its 200-day moving average is $167.19.

Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.89 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.47 by $0.42. The firm had revenue of $2.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.30 billion. Avery Dennison had a return on equity of 34.60% and a net margin of 7.62%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.42 earnings per share. Avery Dennison has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 10.000-10.300 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Avery Dennison Corporation will post 10.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Avery Dennison Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 16th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 2nd were given a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 2nd. Avery Dennison's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.81%.

About Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison Corporation NYSE: AVY is a global materials science and manufacturing company that develops and produces labeling, packaging, graphic, and functional materials. Its products are used by businesses across industries including consumer goods, retail, logistics, apparel, automotive, healthcare, and industrial manufacturing.

The company's offerings include pressure-sensitive labels and label materials, adhesives, industrial and specialty tapes, graphic films, and packaging materials.

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