Davis R M Inc. Increases Stock Holdings in Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL)

Key Points

• Davis R M Inc. increased its stock holdings in Xylem Inc. by 101.6%, acquiring an additional 2,312 shares, bringing its total to 4,587 shares valued at approximately $548,000.
• A number of institutional investors have also recently increased their stakes in Xylem, with hedge funds collectively owning 87.96% of the company's stock.
• Brokerages have raised their price targets for Xylem, with Stifel Nicolaus setting a new price objective of $162.00 and the stock currently holding a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".

Davis R M Inc. increased its holdings in Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL - Free Report) by 101.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,587 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,312 shares during the quarter. Davis R M Inc.'s holdings in Xylem were worth $548,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Valley National Advisers Inc. lifted its stake in Xylem by 84.9% in the first quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 220 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the period. Perkins Coie Trust Co purchased a new stake in Xylem in the first quarter worth $27,000. Center for Financial Planning Inc. lifted its position in Xylem by 52.0% during the first quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 266 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Xylem during the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Xylem during the first quarter valued at $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.96% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on XYL. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Xylem from $141.00 to $162.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Xylem in a research report on Friday, May 30th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $148.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating and set a $152.00 price objective (up previously from $137.00) on shares of Xylem in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Xylem from $143.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Xylem from $149.00 to $146.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $149.29.

Xylem Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:XYL opened at $144.44 on Friday. Xylem Inc. has a 1-year low of $100.47 and a 1-year high of $144.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.89 and a quick ratio of 1.41. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $129.08 and a 200-day moving average price of $124.10. The company has a market capitalization of $35.15 billion, a PE ratio of 38.83, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.12.

Xylem (NYSE:XYL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The industrial products company reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.11. Xylem had a return on equity of 10.12% and a net margin of 10.54%. The firm had revenue of $2.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.20 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.09 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Xylem Inc. will post 4.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Xylem Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 29th were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 29th. Xylem's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.01%.

About Xylem

Xylem Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and servicing of engineered products and solutions worldwide. It operates through four segments: Water Infrastructure, Applied Water, Measurement & Control Solutions, and Integrated Solutions and Services. The Water Infrastructure segment offers products, including water, storm water, and wastewater pumps; controls and systems; filtration, disinfection, and biological treatment equipment; and mobile dewatering equipment and rental services under the ADI, Flygt, Godwin, Sanitaire, Magneto, Neptune Benson, Ionpure, Leopold, Wedeco, and Xylem Vue brands.

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