Voya Investment Management LLC Reduces Stake in Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:WTS)

Voya Investment Management LLC cut its holdings in Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:WTS) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 98,730 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 1,379 shares during the quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Watts Water Technologies were worth $20,072,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC increased its position in shares of Watts Water Technologies by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,713 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $348,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. MGO One Seven LLC lifted its holdings in Watts Water Technologies by 14.5% in the fourth quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 2,137 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $434,000 after acquiring an additional 271 shares during the last quarter. Pinebridge Investments L.P. boosted its position in Watts Water Technologies by 42.7% during the 4th quarter. Pinebridge Investments L.P. now owns 14,812 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $3,011,000 after purchasing an additional 4,433 shares during the period. Dark Forest Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $421,000. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp raised its stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies by 12.9% during the fourth quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 44,966 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $9,141,000 after purchasing an additional 5,153 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.02% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on WTS shares. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Watts Water Technologies from $197.00 to $217.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Stifel Nicolaus upgraded shares of Watts Water Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $219.00 to $229.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $222.00.

Insider Activity at Watts Water Technologies

In other news, insider Elie Melhem sold 4,397 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $925,700.41. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 10,469 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,204,038.57. This trade represents a 29.58 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Watts Water Technologies Stock Down 1.3 %

Shares of NYSE WTS opened at $206.82 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.89 billion, a PE ratio of 23.80, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a current ratio of 2.59. The business has a fifty day moving average of $205.06 and a two-hundred day moving average of $207.00. Watts Water Technologies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $175.37 and a 52-week high of $232.60.

Watts Water Technologies (NYSE:WTS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The technology company reported $2.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Watts Water Technologies, Inc. will post 9.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Watts Water Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a $0.43 dividend. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. Watts Water Technologies’s payout ratio is 19.79%.

Watts Water Technologies Company Profile

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.