Vanguard Group Inc. Sells 53,658 Shares of Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:WTS)

Vanguard Group Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:WTS) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 3,089,851 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 53,658 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 9.27% of Watts Water Technologies worth $628,167,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WTS. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies by 59.8% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 155 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in Watts Water Technologies by 660.3% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 555 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $113,000 after purchasing an additional 482 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Watts Water Technologies by 45.2% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 565 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $115,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. Leavell Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Watts Water Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at about $205,000. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Watts Water Technologies in the third quarter valued at about $231,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.02% of the company’s stock.

Watts Water Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WTS opened at $203.89 on Monday. Watts Water Technologies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $175.37 and a 12-month high of $232.60. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $211.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $208.14. The firm has a market cap of $6.79 billion, a PE ratio of 23.46, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a quick ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12.

Watts Water Technologies (NYSE:WTS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The technology company reported $2.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.91 by $0.14. Watts Water Technologies had a return on equity of 18.08% and a net margin of 12.93%. Equities research analysts predict that Watts Water Technologies, Inc. will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Watts Water Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were given a dividend of $0.43 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.84%. Watts Water Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is 19.79%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on WTS shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Watts Water Technologies from $197.00 to $217.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Watts Water Technologies in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. They set a “hold” rating and a $240.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Watts Water Technologies from $218.00 to $219.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $220.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Elie Melhem sold 4,397 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $210.53, for a total transaction of $925,700.41. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 10,469 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,204,038.57. The trade was a 29.58 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

About Watts Water Technologies

Watts Water Technologies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, supplies products and solutions that manage and conserve the flow of fluids and energy into, through, and out of buildings in the commercial, industrial, and residential markets in the Americas, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.