Confluence Investment Management LLC Sells 27,875 Shares of A. O. Smith Corporation $AOS

Key Points

• Confluence Investment Management cut its A. O. Smith stake by 8.9% in the third quarter, selling 27,875 shares and retaining 284,138 shares valued at approximately $16.0 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.1% of the company.
• A. O. Smith shares traded at $56.12, near their 12-month low of $54.16. The company beat quarterly EPS estimates ($1.03 versus $0.96), but revenue fell 0.7% year over year; full-year EPS guidance is $3.70–$3.85.
• The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.36 per share, equivalent to a 2.6% annual yield. Analysts’ consensus rating is “Hold,” with an average price target of $67.75.

Confluence Investment Management LLC decreased its position in A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS - Free Report) by 8.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 284,138 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 27,875 shares during the period. Confluence Investment Management LLC owned about 0.21% of A. O. Smith worth $16,017,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AOS. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in A. O. Smith by 10.4% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,168,894 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $143,017,000 after purchasing an additional 203,846 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of A. O. Smith by 3.4% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,959,696 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $129,202,000 after acquiring an additional 64,873 shares during the last quarter. Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in A. O. Smith during the second quarter worth about $92,005,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in A. O. Smith during the fourth quarter worth about $97,101,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in A. O. Smith by 3.1% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,425,759 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $94,014,000 after purchasing an additional 42,702 shares during the last quarter. 76.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

A. O. Smith Stock Performance

Shares of AOS stock traded down $0.24 during trading on Thursday, reaching $56.12. 627,705 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,564,464. A. O. Smith Corporation has a twelve month low of $54.16 and a twelve month high of $81.86. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $60.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $60.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.63 billion, a PE ratio of 15.55, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.16.

A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.07. A. O. Smith had a return on equity of 27.88% and a net margin of 13.15%.The business had revenue of $1 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $994.89 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.07 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. A. O. Smith has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.700-3.850 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that A. O. Smith Corporation will post 3.74 EPS for the current year.

A. O. Smith Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 17th. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st were issued a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 31st. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. A. O. Smith's payout ratio is presently 40.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup lowered their price target on A. O. Smith from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Zacks Research raised shares of A. O. Smith from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of A. O. Smith in a report on Monday, August 24th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of A. O. Smith from $76.00 to $70.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Oppenheimer set a $75.00 price objective on shares of A. O. Smith and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $67.75.

A. O. Smith Company Profile

A. O. Smith Corporation NYSE: AOS is a manufacturer of water heating and water treatment products for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. The company's product portfolio includes electric and gas water heaters, boilers, storage tanks, heat pump water heaters, and related equipment and controls.

The company also provides water treatment solutions, including water softeners, filtration systems, and other products designed to improve water quality. Its products are marketed under the A.

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