Howard Financial Services LTD. Takes Position in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR)

Howard Financial Services LTD. acquired a new position in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 2,211 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $274,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EMR. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in shares of Emerson Electric in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Emerson Electric during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Morton Brown Family Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Emerson Electric in the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Emerson Electric in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Emerson Electric during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $43,000. 74.30% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Emerson Electric Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:EMR opened at $124.65 on Friday. Emerson Electric Co. has a twelve month low of $91.64 and a twelve month high of $134.85. The firm has a market cap of $70.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a 50 day moving average of $127.10 and a 200-day moving average of $115.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.77, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

Emerson Electric Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th were paid a $0.5275 dividend. This represents a $2.11 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.69%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 15th. This is an increase from Emerson Electric’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. Emerson Electric’s payout ratio is currently 61.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Emerson Electric from $140.00 to $158.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 9th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Emerson Electric from $145.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Emerson Electric from $117.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Emerson Electric from $137.00 to $135.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Loop Capital increased their price target on Emerson Electric from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.89.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Michael H. Train sold 21,525 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.96, for a total transaction of $2,711,289.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 262,408 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $33,052,911.68. This represents a 7.58 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

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.