Stryker Co. (NYSE:SYK) Holdings Decreased by Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC

Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Stryker Co. (NYSE:SYK) by 37.5% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 86,813 shares of the medical technology company’s stock after selling 52,062 shares during the quarter. Stryker makes up 2.8% of Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC’s holdings in Stryker were worth $31,257,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Dunhill Financial LLC increased its position in Stryker by 94.9% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 76 shares of the medical technology company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Stryker in the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Activest Wealth Management acquired a new position in Stryker in the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Stryker in the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Hara Capital LLC acquired a new position in Stryker in the 3rd quarter worth about $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.09% of the company’s stock.

Stryker Price Performance

Shares of SYK stock opened at $385.05 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $377.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $366.30. The company has a current ratio of 1.95, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. Stryker Co. has a 12 month low of $314.93 and a 12 month high of $406.19. The company has a market capitalization of $146.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.96.

Stryker (NYSE:SYK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 28th. The medical technology company reported $4.01 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.87 by $0.14. Stryker had a return on equity of 23.58% and a net margin of 13.25%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.46 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Stryker Co. will post 13.49 EPS for the current year.

Stryker Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.84 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.87%. Stryker’s dividend payout ratio is currently 43.30%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on Stryker from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Stryker from $384.00 to $427.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Stryker from $420.00 to $445.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Stryker from $378.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Stryker from $425.00 to $435.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $420.68.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Ronda E. Stryker sold 201,392 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $392.24, for a total transaction of $78,993,998.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,642,075 shares in the company, valued at $1,428,567,498. This trade represents a 5.24 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 5.90% of the company’s stock.

About Stryker

Stryker Corporation operates as a medical technology company. The company operates through two segments, MedSurg and Neurotechnology, and Orthopaedics and Spine. The Orthopaedics and Spine segment provides implants for use in total joint replacements, such as hip, knee and shoulder, and trauma and extremities surgeries.