Veralto (NYSE:VLTO) Given New $102.00 Price Target at Citigroup

Key Points

• Citigroup cut its price target on Veralto to $102 (from $104) and kept a "neutral" rating, implying about a 15% upside, while analyst coverage is split (six Buys, six Holds) with a consensus price target near $106.11.
• Q1 results beat expectations — $1.07 EPS vs. $1.02 and $1.422B revenue (+6.8% YoY) — and management raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance to $4.20–$4.28, announced ~$300M of buybacks and a $65–$75M cost‑optimization plan, supporting earnings durability and shareholder returns.
• Near‑term risks include slightly light Q2 guidance (EPS $0.960–$1.00 vs. ~ $1.02 consensus) and recent insider selling/institutional rebalancing that could pressure sentiment, while the stock trades around $88.52 with a one‑year range of $84.99–$110.11.

Veralto (NYSE:VLTO - Get Free Report) had its price target dropped by Citigroup from $104.00 to $102.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. Citigroup's price target suggests a potential upside of 15.23% from the stock's current price.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on VLTO. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Veralto in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. They set a "buy" rating and a $110.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group decreased their price target on Veralto from $102.00 to $99.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Veralto from $99.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Veralto from $118.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Veralto in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $106.11.

Get Veralto SMS alerts:

Sign Up

Veralto Stock Performance

Veralto stock traded down $0.95 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $88.52. 1,089,498 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,956,992. The company has a quick ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. Veralto has a one year low of $84.99 and a one year high of $110.11. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $90.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $96.55. The company has a market cap of $21.74 billion, a PE ratio of 23.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.98.

Veralto (NYSE:VLTO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $1.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.40 billion. Veralto had a return on equity of 35.77% and a net margin of 17.08%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.95 earnings per share. Veralto has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.200-4.280 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.960-1.000 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Veralto will post 4.21 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Veralto

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VLTO. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV grew its position in Veralto by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV now owns 15,098 shares of the company's stock worth $1,506,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Veralto by 2.7% during the third quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 3,792 shares of the company's stock worth $404,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Strategic Blueprint LLC grew its position in Veralto by 4.3% during the third quarter. Strategic Blueprint LLC now owns 2,543 shares of the company's stock valued at $271,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in Veralto by 14.0% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 855 shares of the company's stock valued at $91,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Creative Capital Management Investments LLC increased its stake in Veralto by 45.9% in the 4th quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC now owns 340 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.28% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Veralto

Here are the key news stories impacting Veralto this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — Veralto reported $1.07 adjusted EPS vs. $1.02 consensus and $1.422B revenue (+6.8% YoY), with healthy margins (adjusted operating margin ~25%) and strong ROE. This outperformance supports valuation and momentum. MarketBeat Q1 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $4.20–$4.28, raised free‑cash‑flow conversion target (~100% of GAAP net earnings), announced a cost‑optimization program ($65–$75M target by 2028) and noted ~$300M of year‑to‑date buybacks — all positive for earnings durability and shareholder returns. QuiverQuant Q1 Analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada nudged its price target to $100 (from $99) with a "sector perform" rating — a modest vote of confidence and a ~12.8% upside versus current levels. Benzinga Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call materials and full transcripts are available for deeper details on segment performance (Water Quality strength was highlighted) and capital allocation priorities. Useful for investors modeling forward margins and cash flow. Yahoo: Q1 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed but generally constructive — recent price‑target dispersion (median ~$107.50) implies upside for patient investors, though ratings range from sector perform to outperform. QuiverQuant Analysts & Targets
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 guidance came in slightly light: Veralto set Q2 EPS at $0.960–$1.000 versus a ~$1.02 consensus — a near‑term catalyst that can pressure the stock until investors see sequential execution. MarketBeat Guidance Note
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity shows multiple sales (no purchases) and some large institutional rebalancing, which can weigh on sentiment even though buybacks have been significant. Monitor insider flow and 13F shifts for further pressure or support. QuiverQuant Insider & Institutional Data

Veralto Company Profile

Veralto Corporation provides water analytics, water treatment, marking and coding, and packaging and color services worldwide. It operates through two segments, Water Quality (WQ) and Product Quality & Innovation (PQI). The WQ segment offers precision instrumentation and water treatment technologies to measure, analyze, and treat water in residential, commercial, municipal, industrial, research, and natural resource applications through the Hach, Trojan Technologies, and ChemTreat brands. This segment provides water solutions, including chemical reagents, services, and digital solutions.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.