A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS) Receives $74.89 Average Target Price from Brokerages

A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS) has earned an average rating of “Hold” from the ten analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have issued a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $70.4444.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $70.00 price objective on A. O. Smith in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on A. O. Smith from $75.00 to $65.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $80.00 price objective on shares of A. O. Smith in a report on Friday. DA Davidson set a $67.00 price objective on A. O. Smith and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded A. O. Smith from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th.

A. O. Smith Price Performance

AOS stock opened at $58.87 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. A. O. Smith has a 52-week low of $58.22 and a 52-week high of $81.86. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $67.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $68.90. The company has a market capitalization of $8.14 billion, a PE ratio of 15.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.23.

A. O. Smith (NYSE:AOS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.94 by ($0.09). A. O. Smith had a return on equity of 28.42% and a net margin of 13.84%.The business had revenue of $945.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $974.06 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.95 earnings per share. A. O. Smith’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. A. O. Smith has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.600-3.900 EPS. Analysts predict that A. O. Smith will post 3.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A. O. Smith Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 30th. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. A. O. Smith’s payout ratio is currently 38.30%.

Insider Activity at A. O. Smith

In other news, SVP Darrell W. Schuh sold 1,104 shares of A. O. Smith stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.39, for a total value of $82,126.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 2,201 shares in the company, valued at approximately $163,732.39. This trade represents a 33.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AOS. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV grew its position in shares of A. O. Smith by 3,481.8% in the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 394 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 383 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC grew its position in shares of A. O. Smith by 3,125.0% in the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 387 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 375 shares in the last quarter. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of A. O. Smith in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of A. O. Smith in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of A. O. Smith in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.10% of the company’s stock.

About A. O. Smith

A. O. Smith Corporation, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a leading manufacturer of water heating and water treatment products for residential and commercial applications. Since its founding in 1874, the company has built a reputation for producing reliable, energy-efficient water heaters, boilers and pressure vessels. Its product portfolio encompasses gas, electric, condensing and tankless water heaters, as well as specialty boilers designed to meet a variety of building and industrial needs.

The company operates through two primary segments: North America and Asia.