Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Trims Stock Holdings in Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL)

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has reduced its holdings in Xylem Inc. by 23.1%, now owning 6,637 shares valued at approximately $793,000.
• Xylem's shares were trading at $143.66, with a market cap of $34.97 billion and a year-to-date performance indicating a 1-year low of $100.47 and a high of $145.33.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, representing an annualized yield of 1.1% and a payout ratio of 41.56%.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL - Free Report) by 23.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,637 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 1,996 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Xylem were worth $793,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in XYL. Valley National Advisers Inc. grew its stake in shares of Xylem by 84.9% in the 1st quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 220 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. Perkins Coie Trust Co acquired a new stake in Xylem in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Center for Financial Planning Inc. increased its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Xylem during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Xylem in the 1st quarter worth $41,000. 87.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on XYL. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Xylem from $143.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $152.00 price target (up previously from $137.00) on shares of Xylem in a report on Monday, July 14th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Xylem to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Xylem in a research note on Friday, May 30th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $148.00 price objective for the company. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $168.00 price objective (up previously from $164.00) on shares of Xylem in a research report on Tuesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Xylem currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $151.57.

Xylem Stock Performance

Shares of XYL stock traded down $0.20 on Thursday, hitting $143.42. 938,246 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,499,119. The firm's 50 day moving average is $130.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $124.81. Xylem Inc. has a one year low of $100.47 and a one year high of $145.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.91 billion, a PE ratio of 37.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Xylem (NYSE:XYL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The industrial products company reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $2.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.20 billion. Xylem had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 10.33%. The company's revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.09 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Xylem Inc. will post 4.65 earnings per share 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 paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 29th. Xylem's payout ratio is currently 41.56%.

Xylem Profile

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.