Schroder Investment Management Group Trims Holdings in UL Solutions Inc. $ULS

Key Points

• Schroder Investment Management Group trimmed its stake in UL Solutions by 9.9%, selling 38,746 shares and leaving it with 353,959 shares (about 0.18% of the company) worth roughly $24.84 million.
• UL Solutions beat Q earnings expectations with $0.53 EPS versus a $0.46 consensus and revenue of $789 million (+6.8% YoY), and the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.145 (annualized $0.58, yield 0.7%).
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: the consensus rating is a Hold with an average price target of $87.60, though some firms raised targets (Wells Fargo to $102, JPMorgan to $88) while others downgraded or trimmed targets.

Schroder Investment Management Group lessened its stake in UL Solutions Inc. (NYSE:ULS - Free Report) by 9.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 353,959 shares of the company's stock after selling 38,746 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group owned about 0.18% of UL Solutions worth $24,837,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its position in shares of UL Solutions by 48.4% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 524 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. acquired a new position in UL Solutions in the third quarter worth about $40,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in UL Solutions by 3,070.0% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 634 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 614 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in UL Solutions by 28.2% during the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 731 shares of the company's stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers bought a new position in UL Solutions during the 1st quarter worth approximately $49,000.

UL Solutions Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of UL Solutions stock opened at $83.49 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $77.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $76.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.32. The company has a market capitalization of $16.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.51, a PEG ratio of 3.40 and a beta of 0.87. UL Solutions Inc. has a 1-year low of $49.69 and a 1-year high of $91.95.

UL Solutions (NYSE:ULS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $0.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.07. UL Solutions had a return on equity of 31.62% and a net margin of 10.61%.The company had revenue of $789.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $782.37 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.49 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that UL Solutions Inc. will post 1.69 EPS for the current year.

UL Solutions Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.145 per share. This represents a $0.58 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 2nd. This is a positive change from UL Solutions's previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. UL Solutions's dividend payout ratio is 36.48%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on ULS shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on UL Solutions from $97.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of UL Solutions from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of UL Solutions from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of UL Solutions from $97.00 to $96.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their target price on UL Solutions from $88.10 to $87.80 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $87.60.

UL Solutions Profile

UL Solutions NYSE: ULS is a global safety science company that provides testing, inspection, certification, advisory and digital solutions designed to help organizations manage risk, ensure regulatory compliance and drive innovation. With roots dating back to 1894 when it was founded as Underwriters' Electrical Bureau, the company rebranded as UL Solutions following its initial public offering in 2022. Headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, UL Solutions operates independently to serve a broad range of industries with an emphasis on product safety, performance and sustainability.

The company's core services include standards development, product testing and certification for sectors such as building products, consumer electronics, automotive, life sciences, energy and industrial equipment.

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