Key Points
- Insider sale: Elie Melhem sold 379 shares on March 18 at an average price of $300.03 for $113,711, reducing his position by 3.17% to 11,592 shares (≈$3.48M), per the SEC filing.
- Shares traded down about 0.7% to $294.38 on light volume; the company has a market cap of $9.81B, a P/E of 28.86, and a 12‑month range of $177.59–$345.17.
- Recent fundamentals: Watts beat quarterly estimates with EPS $2.62 (vs. $2.36) and revenue up 15.7% YoY, pays a monthly $0.52 dividend (≈2.1% yield), and carries a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" with an average target of $334.11.
Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:WTS - Get Free Report) insider Elie Melhem sold 379 shares of Watts Water Technologies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.03, for a total value of $113,711.37. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 11,592 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,477,947.76. This trade represents a 3.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.
Watts Water Technologies Stock Down 0.7%
Shares of NYSE WTS traded down $2.14 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $294.38. The company had a trading volume of 3,229 shares, compared to its average volume of 186,713. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $309.30 and a two-hundred day moving average of $288.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.51. The company has a market capitalization of $9.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.86, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.23. Watts Water Technologies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $177.59 and a 12-month high of $345.17.
Watts Water Technologies (NYSE:WTS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The technology company reported $2.62 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.36 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $625.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $610.40 million. Watts Water Technologies had a net margin of 13.98% and a return on equity of 18.55%. The firm's revenue was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.05 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Watts Water Technologies, Inc. will post 9.08 EPS for the current year.
Watts Water Technologies Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 27th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Watts Water Technologies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.45%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of research firms have recently weighed in on WTS. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Watts Water Technologies in a research note on Friday, December 12th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $300.00 price target on the stock. HSBC assumed coverage on Watts Water Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Watts Water Technologies in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $339.00 price target on shares of Watts Water Technologies in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on Watts Water Technologies from $288.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Watts Water Technologies currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $334.11.
View Our Latest Report on WTS
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Watts Water Technologies
Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. MTM Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Watts Water Technologies during the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies in the third quarter worth $26,000. Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Watts Water Technologies in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its position in Watts Water Technologies by 69.4% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the technology company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in Watts Water Technologies during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. 95.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
About Watts Water Technologies
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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