Tidal Investments LLC Grows Stake in A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS)

Tidal Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS - Free Report) by 55.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 21,730 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 7,775 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC's holdings in A. O. Smith were worth $1,482,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in A. O. Smith during the 4th quarter valued at about $66,000. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan purchased a new stake in shares of A. O. Smith during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $84,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in shares of A. O. Smith by 40.0% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,299 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $89,000 after purchasing an additional 371 shares during the period. Mufg Securities Americas Inc. bought a new position in shares of A. O. Smith in the fourth quarter worth approximately $120,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of A. O. Smith in the fourth quarter worth $201,000. 76.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

A. O. Smith Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:AOS traded down $0.19 during trading on Friday, hitting $64.54. The stock had a trading volume of 367,215 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,187,641. The company has a market capitalization of $9.17 billion, a PE ratio of 17.81, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The firm's fifty day moving average is $65.79 and its 200 day moving average is $68.10. A. O. Smith Co. has a 12 month low of $58.83 and a 12 month high of $92.45.

A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $0.95 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $963.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $950.56 million. A. O. Smith had a net margin of 13.98% and a return on equity of 28.87%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.00 EPS. Analysts anticipate that A. O. Smith Co. will post 3.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

A. O. Smith Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th were issued a dividend of $0.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.11%. A. O. Smith's payout ratio is 37.99%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on AOS shares. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of A. O. Smith from $75.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of A. O. Smith in a report on Saturday, May 24th. UBS Group reduced their price target on A. O. Smith from $80.00 to $74.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on A. O. Smith from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Oppenheimer dropped their price target on A. O. Smith from $88.00 to $84.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $76.17.

About A. O. Smith

A. O. Smith Corporation manufactures and markets residential and commercial gas and electric water heaters, boilers, heat pumps, tanks, and water treatment products in North America, China, Europe, and India. The company offers water heaters for residences, restaurants, hotels, office buildings, laundries, car washes, and small businesses; boilers for hospitals, schools, hotels, and other large commercial buildings, as well as homes, apartments, and condominiums; and water treatment products comprising point-of-entry water softeners, well water solutions, and whole-home water filtration products, and point-of-use carbon and reverse osmosis products for residences, restaurants, hotels, and offices.