Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:WTS) Shares Sold by Aviva PLC

Aviva PLC lessened its position in Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:WTS) by 6.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 6,934 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 445 shares during the period. Aviva PLC’s holdings in Watts Water Technologies were worth $1,410,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in WTS. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies in the 4th quarter worth $60,887,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies in the 4th quarter worth $23,044,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at about $9,773,000. Boston Partners lifted its stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies by 7.6% in the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 632,155 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $128,527,000 after purchasing an additional 44,465 shares during the period. Finally, Retirement Systems of Alabama lifted its stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies by 122.9% in the fourth quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 74,194 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $15,084,000 after purchasing an additional 40,912 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.02% of the company’s stock.

Watts Water Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of WTS opened at $195.01 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 2.59, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The stock has a market cap of $6.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.44, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a 50-day moving average of $208.26 and a two-hundred day moving average of $207.57. Watts Water Technologies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $175.37 and a 12-month high of $232.60.

Watts Water Technologies (NYSE:WTS) last announced its 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 net margin of 12.93% and a return on equity of 18.08%. As a group, research analysts predict that Watts Water Technologies, Inc. will post 9.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Watts Water Technologies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were given a dividend of $0.43 per share. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.88%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. Watts Water Technologies’s payout ratio is currently 19.79%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WTS has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Watts Water Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $240.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Watts Water Technologies from $197.00 to $217.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Watts Water Technologies from $218.00 to $219.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus 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 that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.53, for a total value of $925,700.41. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 10,469 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,204,038.57. The trade was a 29.58 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.