VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Makes New Investment in A. O. Smith Corporation $AOS

Key Points

• Virginia Retirement Systems bought a new stake in A. O. Smith during the fourth quarter, purchasing 47,240 shares valued at about $3.16 million.
• Institutional ownership remains heavy, with hedge funds and other institutional investors controlling 76.10% of the company’s shares. Several smaller funds also initiated or added to positions in recent quarters.
• A. O. Smith reported Q1 results that missed expectations, posting $0.85 EPS versus the $0.94 estimate and revenue of $945.6 million versus $974.06 million expected. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.36 per share, implying a 2.5% annualized yield.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new position in A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 47,240 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $3,159,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Rothschild Investment LLC increased its stake in A. O. Smith by 3,125.0% in the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 387 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 375 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in A. O. Smith in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in A. O. Smith in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in A. O. Smith in the third quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in A. O. Smith by 67.9% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 487 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.10% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Darrell W. Schuh sold 1,104 shares of the firm's 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 sale, the senior vice president owned 2,201 shares of the company's stock, valued at $163,732.39. This trade represents a 33.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on AOS shares. Stifel Nicolaus set a $75.00 price target on A. O. Smith in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded A. O. Smith from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Robert W. Baird set a $70.00 price target on A. O. Smith in a research report on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on A. O. Smith from $75.00 to $65.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on A. O. Smith from $69.00 to $61.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.44.

A. O. Smith Price Performance

Shares of AOS stock opened at $57.91 on Friday. A. O. Smith Corporation has a 1-year low of $56.77 and a 1-year high of $81.86. The stock's 50-day moving average is $64.74 and its 200 day moving average is $68.37. The company has a market cap of $7.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.40, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.00.

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

A. O. Smith Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 30th will be given a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is 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 (DPR) is presently 38.30%.

A. O. Smith Profile

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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