Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its stake in A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS – Free Report) by 682.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,063 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 30,582 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in A. O. Smith were worth $2,312,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of A. O. Smith during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $97,101,000. Madison Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of A. O. Smith in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $80,885,000. Natixis Advisors LLC raised its position in A. O. Smith by 220.4% in the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 1,022,299 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $68,371,000 after purchasing an additional 703,186 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in A. O. Smith by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,096,018 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,009,622,000 after purchasing an additional 683,176 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in A. O. Smith by 93.2% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,279,356 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $85,563,000 after buying an additional 617,179 shares in the last quarter. 76.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Analyst Ratings Changes
AOS has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Zacks Research downgraded A. O. Smith from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on A. O. Smith from $69.00 to $61.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of A. O. Smith from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Oppenheimer set a $75.00 price target on shares of A. O. Smith and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $70.00 price objective on shares of A. O. Smith in a report on Friday, May 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $67.75.
A. O. Smith Stock Up 0.8%
Shares of NYSE AOS opened at $60.31 on Friday. A. O. Smith Corporation has a 52-week low of $54.16 and a 52-week high of $81.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.59. The stock has a market cap of $8.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.16. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $59.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $65.39.
A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.07. A. O. Smith had a net margin of 13.15% and a return on equity of 27.88%. The company had revenue of $1 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $994.89 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.07 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. A. O. Smith has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.700-3.850 EPS. Analysts expect that A. O. Smith Corporation will post 3.74 EPS for the current year.
A. O. Smith Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. A. O. Smith’s payout ratio is currently 38.30%.
A. O. Smith News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting A. O. Smith this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter results exceeded expectations. A. O. Smith reported adjusted EPS of $1.03, above the $0.96 consensus estimate, while sales of approximately $1.0 billion also topped forecasts. North America sales rose 5% to $820.5 million, supported by the Leonard Valve acquisition, 21% boiler sales growth and pricing actions. A. O. Smith Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
- Positive Sentiment: Cash generation and shareholder returns improved. Year-to-date operating cash flow increased 42% to $254 million, free cash flow climbed 67% to $233 million, and the company raised its 2026 share-repurchase target to $300 million. A. O. Smith also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.36 per share. A. O. Smith Q2 Sales Report
- Neutral Sentiment: Full-year guidance remains broadly in line with expectations. Management reiterated adjusted EPS guidance of $3.70 to $3.85 and sales growth of 2% to 3%; the midpoint is close to the analyst consensus. The company’s earnings beat and boiler momentum provide support, but the outlook does not represent a major upward revision. A. O. Smith Q2 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
- Negative Sentiment: International weakness and costs remain concerns. Rest of World sales fell 19%, primarily because of continued weakness in China’s consumer-appliance market. Quarterly revenue declined slightly year over year, adjusted EPS was below the prior-year result, and higher input costs pressured profitability. A. O. Smith Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates
- Negative Sentiment: Analysts lowered their valuation targets. Citigroup cut its target to $64 from $65 and kept a neutral rating, while Stifel reduced its target to $70 from $76 but maintained a buy rating. The reductions may limit upside sentiment despite both targets remaining above the recent trading level. Analyst Price Target Changes
A. O. Smith Company 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.
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