Lazard Asset Management LLC Sells 734,746 Shares of Honeywell International Inc. (NASDAQ:HON)

Lazard Asset Management LLC lowered its stake in Honeywell International Inc. (NASDAQ:HON - Free Report) by 37.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,240,416 shares of the conglomerate's stock after selling 734,746 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned 0.19% of Honeywell International worth $280,196,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of HON. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Honeywell International by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 61,761,711 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $13,951,353,000 after purchasing an additional 380,299 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Honeywell International by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 14,988,152 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $3,379,568,000 after purchasing an additional 627,422 shares during the period. Capital World Investors bought a new stake in shares of Honeywell International during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,594,216,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in Honeywell International by 10.3% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,763,764 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $1,527,867,000 after buying an additional 631,761 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors boosted its holdings in shares of Honeywell International by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 6,641,017 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $1,500,141,000 after buying an additional 346,190 shares in the last quarter. 75.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Honeywell International Price Performance

Shares of HON stock traded up $5.11 on Thursday, hitting $222.29. 4,132,899 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,763,342. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 1.01. Honeywell International Inc. has a 52 week low of $179.36 and a 52 week high of $242.77. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $205.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $215.45. The firm has a market cap of $142.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.52, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.07.

Honeywell International (NASDAQ:HON - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The conglomerate reported $2.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.30. Honeywell International had a return on equity of 35.78% and a net margin of 14.82%. The business had revenue of $9.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.25 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Honeywell International Inc. will post 10.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Honeywell International Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. Honeywell International's dividend payout ratio is currently 51.95%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on HON shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Honeywell International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Bank of America raised Honeywell International from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $250.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Honeywell International from $205.00 to $178.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Honeywell International from $205.00 to $225.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Honeywell International from $210.00 to $217.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $242.23.

Honeywell International Profile

Honeywell International Inc engages in the aerospace technologies, building automation, energy and sustainable solutions, and industrial automation businesses in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company's Aerospace segment offers auxiliary power units, propulsion engines, integrated avionics, environmental control and electric power systems, engine controls, flight safety, communications, navigation hardware, data and software applications, radar and surveillance systems, aircraft lighting, advanced systems and instruments, satellite and space components, and aircraft wheels and brakes; spare parts; repair, overhaul, and maintenance services; and thermal systems, as well as wireless connectivity services.