Vest Financial LLC Has $60.03 Million Stake in A. O. Smith Corporation $AOS

Vest Financial LLC decreased its position in A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS) by 8.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 817,742 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 79,118 shares during the quarter. A. O. Smith accounts for approximately 0.8% of Vest Financial LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 29th largest holding. Vest Financial LLC owned 0.58% of A. O. Smith worth $60,030,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of A. O. Smith during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,045,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in A. O. Smith in the 2nd quarter worth about $386,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in A. O. Smith by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,265,091 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $82,952,000 after purchasing an additional 13,906 shares during the period. Magnetar Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of A. O. Smith during the second quarter worth approximately $2,837,000. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of A. O. Smith in the third quarter valued at approximately $750,000. 76.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

A. O. Smith Price Performance

Shares of AOS opened at $70.55 on Wednesday. A. O. Smith Corporation has a twelve month low of $58.83 and a twelve month high of $77.31. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $67.62 and a 200 day moving average of $69.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The company has a market capitalization of $9.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 1.35.

A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The industrial products company reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $942.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $946.33 million. A. O. Smith had a net margin of 13.85% and a return on equity of 29.34%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.82 earnings per share. A. O. Smith has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.700-3.850 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that A. O. Smith Corporation will post 3.76 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 Tuesday, February 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. A. O. Smith’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.81%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AOS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of A. O. Smith in a research note on Wednesday, December 24th. Citigroup reduced their target price on A. O. Smith from $77.00 to $72.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $75.00 price objective on shares of A. O. Smith in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $75.00 target price on shares of A. O. Smith and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $80.00 price target on A. O. Smith and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $76.50.

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.