Franklin Resources Inc. Acquires 577,914 Shares of Vontier Corporation $VNT

Key Points

• Franklin Resources boosted its Vontier stake by 11.1% in the fourth quarter, adding 577,914 shares to reach 5,803,510 shares valued at about $215.8 million. The filing shows institutional ownership remains very high, with 95.83% of Vontier shares held by institutions.
• Vontier stock was trading at $28.87, near its 52-week low of $27.25 and well below its 52-week high of $48.20. The company has a market cap of $4.07 billion and recently reported earnings of $0.80 per share, slightly missing estimates but beating revenue expectations.
• Vontier announced a quarterly dividend of $0.025 per share and authorized a $1 billion share buyback, which could cover up to 25.4% of outstanding shares. Analysts currently rate the stock a consensus “Hold,” with an average price target of $42.38.

Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vontier Corporation (NYSE:VNT - Free Report) by 11.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,803,510 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 577,914 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 4.00% of Vontier worth $215,774,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC grew its position in Vontier by 8.1% during the 4th quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 1,495,686 shares of the company's stock worth $55,610,000 after acquiring an additional 111,465 shares during the last quarter. Syon Capital LLC bought a new stake in Vontier during the 4th quarter worth approximately $241,000. Capital World Investors grew its position in Vontier by 8.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,423,890 shares of the company's stock worth $52,940,000 after acquiring an additional 106,559 shares during the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its position in Vontier by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 325,265 shares of the company's stock worth $12,386,000 after acquiring an additional 940 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. grew its position in Vontier by 21.1% during the 4th quarter. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. now owns 7,677 shares of the company's stock worth $285,000 after acquiring an additional 1,336 shares during the last quarter. 95.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vontier Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of VNT opened at $28.87 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.20, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.23. The business's fifty day moving average price is $32.65 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $36.12. Vontier Corporation has a 52 week low of $27.25 and a 52 week high of $48.20.

Vontier (NYSE:VNT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.82 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $750.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $737.21 million. Vontier had a net margin of 13.37% and a return on equity of 37.88%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.77 earnings per share. Vontier has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.350-3.500 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.780-0.810 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Vontier Corporation will post 3.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Vontier Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 4th will be paid a $0.025 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. This represents a $0.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Vontier's dividend payout ratio is 3.53%.

Vontier declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, May 19th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 25.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VNT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $37.00 price objective on Vontier in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Vontier from $50.00 to $45.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings lowered Vontier from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Wall Street Zen lowered Vontier from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on Vontier from $50.00 to $44.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $42.38.

Vontier Company Profile

Vontier is a global industrial technology company focused on advancing mobility infrastructure and transportation solutions. Established as a standalone public company in October 2020 through the spin-off of Fortive’s mobility and transportation platforms, Vontier is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company’s mission centers on delivering innovative products and services that help customers meet evolving demands in fuel retail, fleet management, and automotive service.

The company’s diversified portfolio spans several well-known brands.

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