Tower Research Capital LLC TRC Buys 3,766 Shares of A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS)

Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in A. O. Smith Co. (NYSE:AOS - Free Report) by 127.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 6,732 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,766 shares during the quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC's holdings in A. O. Smith were worth $459,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AOS. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of A. O. Smith in the third quarter worth approximately $1,726,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of A. O. Smith by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,231,084 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $83,972,000 after acquiring an additional 12,305 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in shares of A. O. Smith by 7.1% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 27,825 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,898,000 after acquiring an additional 1,834 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC increased its stake in shares of A. O. Smith by 124.5% in the 4th quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 6,694 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $457,000 after purchasing an additional 3,712 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in A. O. Smith in the 4th quarter worth $7,015,000. 76.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at A. O. Smith

In related news, SVP Douglas Samuel Karge sold 419 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.65, for a total transaction of $27,507.35. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,749 shares in the company, valued at approximately $180,471.85. This represents a 13.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Robert J. Heideman sold 1,026 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.65, for a total transaction of $67,356.90. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 8,889 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $583,562.85. The trade was a 10.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.76% of the company's stock.

A. O. Smith Price Performance

NYSE AOS traded up $1.06 on Friday, reaching $68.47. The company had a trading volume of 877,233 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,136,121. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.86 billion, a PE ratio of 18.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.26. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $65.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $69.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. 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 released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The industrial products company reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $963.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $950.56 million. A. O. Smith had a return on equity of 28.87% and a net margin of 13.98%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.00 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that A. O. Smith Co. will post 3.76 earnings per share for the current year.

A. O. Smith Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be paid a $0.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.99%. A. O. Smith's payout ratio is currently 37.47%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on AOS shares. UBS Group decreased their price objective on A. O. Smith from $80.00 to $74.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of A. O. Smith from $69.00 to $65.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 14th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of A. O. Smith from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com upgraded shares of A. O. Smith from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price target on A. O. Smith from $75.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $76.17.

A. O. Smith Company Profile

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.