Raymond James & Associates Acquires 12,516 Shares of Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:WTS)

Raymond James & Associates boosted its stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:WTS) by 14.8% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 96,817 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,516 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates’ holdings in Watts Water Technologies were worth $20,060,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies by 1.5% in the second quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 2,050,215 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $375,948,000 after buying an additional 29,473 shares during the period. Mirova US LLC lifted its holdings in Watts Water Technologies by 2.2% during the second quarter. Mirova US LLC now owns 715,674 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $131,233,000 after purchasing an additional 15,462 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Watts Water Technologies by 1.2% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 587,538 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $107,738,000 after purchasing an additional 6,742 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies by 0.3% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 338,378 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $71,924,000 after purchasing an additional 1,049 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in shares of Watts Water Technologies by 3.0% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 287,553 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $52,729,000 after purchasing an additional 8,370 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.02% of the company’s stock.

Watts Water Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WTS opened at $197.04 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $198.96 and a 200 day moving average of $197.48. The company has a current ratio of 2.50, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. Watts Water Technologies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $167.87 and a 12 month high of $219.52. The stock has a market cap of $6.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.89.

Watts Water Technologies (NYSE:WTS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The technology company reported $2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.33 by $0.13. Watts Water Technologies had a return on equity of 19.22% and a net margin of 12.44%. The company had revenue of $597.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $589.55 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.34 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Watts Water Technologies, Inc. will post 8.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Watts Water Technologies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th were given a dividend of $0.43 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. Watts Water Technologies’s payout ratio is presently 20.87%.

Insider Transactions at Watts Water Technologies

In other news, Director Michael J. Dubose sold 315 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.93, for a total value of $58,567.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,755 shares in the company, valued at approximately $512,237.15. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Watts Water Technologies news, insider Elie Melhem sold 1,710 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.16, for a total value of $316,623.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 11,516 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,132,302.56. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Michael J. Dubose sold 315 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.93, for a total value of $58,567.95. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,755 shares in the company, valued at $512,237.15. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WTS has been the subject of several analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Watts Water Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 16th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Watts Water Technologies from $225.00 to $199.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Watts Water Technologies from $217.00 to $202.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 9th.

Watts Water Technologies 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.