Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Sells 3,587 Shares of Watts Water Technologies, Inc. $WTS

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:WTS) by 16.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 18,750 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 3,587 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. owned 0.06% of Watts Water Technologies worth $6,641,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Machina Capital S.A.S. bought a new stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies during the 3rd quarter worth $318,000. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its position in shares of Watts Water Technologies by 9.6% during the third quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 18,609 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $6,591,000 after purchasing an additional 1,632 shares during the period. Lido Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies during the third quarter worth $373,000. New York Life Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Watts Water Technologies by 34.3% during the third quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 4,671 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,654,000 after purchasing an additional 1,193 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AlphaCore Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies during the third quarter valued at $237,000. 95.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Joseph Noonan sold 3,650 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $353.72, for a total value of $1,291,078.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Elie Melhem sold 1,096 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $359.55, for a total transaction of $394,066.80. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,867 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,828,579.85. This represents a 12.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Watts Water Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of WTS stock opened at $357.72 on Friday. Watts Water Technologies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $262.96 and a 1-year high of $394.54. The company has a current ratio of 2.80, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The company has a market capitalization of $11.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.82, a P/E/G ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 1.13. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $355.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $333.73.

Watts Water Technologies (NYSE:WTS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The technology company reported $3.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.14 by $0.26. Watts Water Technologies had a return on equity of 19.75% and a net margin of 16.00%. The firm had revenue of $728.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $692.57 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.50 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Watts Water Technologies, Inc. will post 13.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Watts Water Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be issued a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Watts Water Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.89%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on WTS shares. Robert W. Baird set a $405.00 price target on Watts Water Technologies in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Watts Water Technologies from $417.00 to $397.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Watts Water Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 7th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on shares of Watts Water Technologies from $380.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Watts Water Technologies from a “buy (a)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research report on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $368.30.

Watts Water Technologies Company Profile

Watts Water Technologies, Inc. designs and manufactures products that help control the safety, flow, and quality of water in plumbing, heating, and water-treatment systems. Its products serve residential, commercial, and industrial applications. The company’s offerings include backflow preventers, valves, water pressure regulators, drainage products, water-quality and treatment systems, and controls for heating and hot-water applications. It also provides solutions for water reuse and other water-management needs.