World Investment Advisors Grows Stock Holdings in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR)

World Investment Advisors increased its holdings in shares of Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR) by 41.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 20,823 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,079 shares during the quarter. World Investment Advisors’ holdings in Emerson Electric were worth $2,581,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EMR. Creekmur Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Emerson Electric by 7.9% during the fourth quarter. Creekmur Asset Management LLC now owns 13,392 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,660,000 after buying an additional 984 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in shares of Emerson Electric by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 809,372 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $100,306,000 after acquiring an additional 27,277 shares in the last quarter. Kesler Norman & Wride LLC grew its position in shares of Emerson Electric by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Kesler Norman & Wride LLC now owns 42,302 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $5,242,000 after acquiring an additional 669 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its stake in shares of Emerson Electric by 213.5% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 632,614 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $78,400,000 after buying an additional 430,838 shares during the period. Finally, RFG Bristol Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Emerson Electric during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $247,000. 74.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Emerson Electric Price Performance

EMR opened at $94.47 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $53.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.55, a PEG ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $118.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $119.63. Emerson Electric Co. has a 12-month low of $92.23 and a 12-month high of $134.85.

Emerson Electric (NYSE:EMR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The industrial products company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.10. Emerson Electric had a net margin of 13.74% and a return on equity of 12.08%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Emerson Electric Co. will post 5.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Emerson Electric Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th were given a $0.5275 dividend. This represents a $2.11 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. Emerson Electric’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

EMR has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Emerson Electric from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Daiwa America upgraded shares of Emerson Electric to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Barclays cut their price objective on Emerson Electric from $110.00 to $105.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Daiwa Capital Markets began coverage on Emerson Electric in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $147.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Emerson Electric from $140.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Emerson Electric presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.94.

About Emerson Electric

Emerson Electric Co, a technology and software company, provides various solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and consumer markets in the Americas, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. It operates in six segments: Final Control, Control Systems & Software, Measurement & Analytical, AspenTech, Discrete Automation, and Safety & Productivity.