Locust Wood Capital Advisers LLC Buys New Position in Watts Water Technologies, Inc. $WTS

Locust Wood Capital Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:WTS) in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm bought 2,430 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $679,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC raised its position in Watts Water Technologies by 10.2% in the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,887 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $385,000 after buying an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in Watts Water Technologies by 80.2% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,000 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $222,000 after purchasing an additional 445 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its position in Watts Water Technologies by 8.3% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 98,878 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $20,163,000 after purchasing an additional 7,537 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Watts Water Technologies in the second quarter worth about $219,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Watts Water Technologies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $343,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.02% of the company’s stock.

Watts Water Technologies Stock Up 4.2%

Watts Water Technologies stock opened at $301.53 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 1.84 and a current ratio of 2.83. The stock has a market cap of $10.06 billion, a PE ratio of 31.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.24. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $279.52 and a 200 day moving average of $274.25. Watts Water Technologies, Inc. has a one year low of $177.59 and a one year high of $304.42.

Watts Water Technologies (NYSE:WTS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The technology company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.29 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $611.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $576.20 million. Watts Water Technologies had a net margin of 13.79% and a return on equity of 18.31%. The company’s revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.03 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Watts Water Technologies, Inc. will post 9.08 EPS for the current year.

Watts Water Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. Watts Water Technologies’s dividend payout ratio is 21.47%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on WTS. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Watts Water Technologies in a research report on Monday, January 5th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $288.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company set a $275.00 price objective on shares of Watts Water Technologies in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen raised Watts Water Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Watts Water Technologies in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Watts Water Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $288.57.

Insider Buying and Selling at Watts Water Technologies

In related news, major shareholder Timothy P. Horne sold 6,994 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.65, for a total value of $1,948,878.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 23,006 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,410,621.90. This trade represents a 23.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Virginia A. Halloran sold 605 shares of Watts Water Technologies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $276.78, for a total transaction of $167,451.90. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 13,412 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,712,173.36. This represents a 4.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 15,605 shares of company stock valued at $4,296,387 in the last quarter. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Watts Water Technologies

Here are the key news stories impacting Watts Water Technologies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised near?term and multi?year EPS estimates and maintains an Overweight rating with a $340 price target; Q4?2025 EPS raised to $2.36 (from $2.34), FY2025 to $10.32 (from $10.30) and FY2026 to $11.40 (from $11.25) — this upgrade and higher targets are a primary catalyst for the stock rally. MarketBeat: Watts Water Technologies
• Positive Sentiment: KeyBanc upgraded WTS and media coverage highlights the upgrade plus an M&A narrative; headlines cite a “strong setup” and M&A momentum that helped push WTS to an all?time high — supportive for further upside as investors price potential strategic activity. KeyBanc Upgrade (MSN)
• Positive Sentiment: Media explain why WTS is trading up today, pointing to the analyst upgrades and the stock hitting new highs — useful for momentum traders and short?term holders. All?Time High / Momentum (MSN)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus remains at a “Hold” per a recent aggregation — this mixed analyst picture (some upgrades, overall consensus Hold) could moderate the pace of gains if additional bullish reports do not follow. Consensus Rating (AmericanBankingNews)

Watts Water Technologies Company Profile

Watts Water Technologies, Inc is a global manufacturer and distributor of flow control products and solutions designed to ensure the safe, efficient delivery and use of water. Founded in 1874 and headquartered in North Andover, Massachusetts, the company has built a reputation for engineering innovation in residential, commercial and industrial plumbing, heating, cooling and water treatment systems. Watts operates through a comprehensive portfolio of brands and product lines that address application-specific requirements in water safety, pressure regulation, flow control and filtration.

The company’s product offerings span backflow preventers, pressure reducing valves, relief valves and steam traps, as well as hydronic balancing and temperature control devices for heating systems.