Howmet Aerospace (NYSE:HWM) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) shares gapped down prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $127.46, but opened at $123.60. Howmet Aerospace shares last traded at $126.44, with a volume of 301,333 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HWM has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Northcoast Research upgraded Howmet Aerospace from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Howmet Aerospace from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Howmet Aerospace from $125.00 to $155.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Howmet Aerospace from $124.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $118.00 price objective (down previously from $132.00) on shares of Howmet Aerospace in a report on Tuesday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $122.50.

Howmet Aerospace Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 2.17. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $128.79 and a 200-day moving average of $118.35. The company has a market cap of $50.87 billion, a PE ratio of 44.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.25.

Howmet Aerospace (NYSE:HWM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The company reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $1.89 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.88 billion. Howmet Aerospace had a net margin of 15.55% and a return on equity of 25.74%. Equities analysts predict that Howmet Aerospace Inc. will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Howmet Aerospace Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 27th. Investors of record on Friday, May 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. Howmet Aerospace’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.18%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Howmet Aerospace

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in Howmet Aerospace during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Howmet Aerospace by 208.1% in the 4th quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 228 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in Howmet Aerospace in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Howmet Aerospace during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Howmet Aerospace during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. 90.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Howmet Aerospace

Howmet Aerospace Inc provides advanced engineered solutions for the aerospace and transportation industries in the United States, Japan, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy, Canada, Poland, China, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Engine Products, Fastening Systems, Engineered Structures, and Forged Wheels.