Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. Takes $30.17 Million Position in A. O. Smith Corporation $AOS

Key Points

• Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new stake in A. O. Smith during the fourth quarter, acquiring 451,033 shares valued at about $30.17 million. The position represented roughly 0.32% of the company.
• A. O. Smith reported weaker-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $0.85 versus the $0.94 consensus and revenue of $945.6 million versus $974.1 million expected. The company also said quarterly revenue declined 1.9% year over year.
• Analysts remain cautious on the stock, with the current average rating at “Reduce” and an average price target of $69.89. Recent firms have cut targets and issued underweight/sell ratings.

Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. purchased a new stake in shares of A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 451,033 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $30,166,000. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. owned approximately 0.32% of A. O. Smith at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in A. O. Smith by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,096,018 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,009,622,000 after acquiring an additional 683,176 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc lifted its holdings in A. O. Smith by 3.4% in the third quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 4,850,158 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $356,050,000 after acquiring an additional 157,856 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in A. O. Smith by 54.2% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,208,831 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $235,560,000 after acquiring an additional 1,128,543 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in A. O. Smith by 4.6% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,508,947 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $184,182,000 after acquiring an additional 109,654 shares during the period. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in A. O. Smith by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 2,344,631 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $156,809,000 after acquiring an additional 60,260 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.10% of the company's stock.

A. O. Smith Stock Performance

Shares of AOS opened at $56.80 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $62.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $67.65. The stock has a market cap of $7.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.11, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.23. A. O. Smith Corporation has a 52 week low of $54.16 and a 52 week high of $81.86.

A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.94 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $945.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $974.06 million. A. O. Smith had a return on equity of 28.42% and a net margin of 13.84%.The business's quarterly revenue was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.95 EPS. A. O. Smith has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.600-3.900 EPS. On average, analysts expect that A. O. Smith Corporation will post 3.78 EPS for the current year.

A. O. Smith Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 30th were given a $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 30th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. A. O. Smith's dividend payout ratio is presently 38.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Darrell W. Schuh sold 1,104 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.39, for a total transaction of $82,126.56. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 2,201 shares in the company, valued at approximately $163,732.39. This trade represents a 33.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an "underweight" rating and issued a $60.00 target price (down from $65.00) on shares of A. O. Smith in a report on Friday, May 15th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $75.00 target price on A. O. Smith in a report on Friday, May 1st. DA Davidson set a $67.00 target price on A. O. Smith and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on A. O. Smith from $69.00 to $61.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded A. O. Smith from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $69.89.

About A. O. Smith

A. O. Smith Corporation, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a leading manufacturer of water heating and water treatment products for residential and commercial applications. Since its founding in 1874, the company has built a reputation for producing reliable, energy-efficient water heaters, boilers and pressure vessels. Its product portfolio encompasses gas, electric, condensing and tankless water heaters, as well as specialty boilers designed to meet a variety of building and industrial needs.

The company operates through two primary segments: North America and Asia.

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