Smartleaf Asset Management LLC Buys 1,944 Shares of Stryker Co. (NYSE:SYK)

Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Stryker Co. (NYSE:SYK) by 44.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,341 shares of the medical technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,944 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Stryker were worth $2,297,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Dunhill Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Stryker by 94.9% during the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 76 shares of the medical technology company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Stryker during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. BankPlus Trust Department bought a new position in Stryker during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Stryker during the third quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Activest Wealth Management bought a new position in Stryker during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. 77.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Stryker Price Performance

Shares of NYSE SYK opened at $386.55 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $380.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $371.22. The company has a market cap of $147.50 billion, a PE ratio of 49.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 1.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. Stryker Co. has a twelve month low of $314.93 and a twelve month high of $406.19.

Stryker (NYSE:SYK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 28th. The medical technology company reported $4.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.87 by $0.14. Stryker had a return on equity of 23.58% and a net margin of 13.25%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.46 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Stryker Co. will post 13.47 EPS for the current year.

Stryker Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.84 per share. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. Stryker’s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.30%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $442.00 target price on shares of Stryker in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Stryker from $384.00 to $427.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Stryker from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. StockNews.com downgraded Stryker from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 target price on shares of Stryker in a research report on Wednesday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Stryker presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $422.15.

Insider Transactions at Stryker

In related news, Director Ronda E. Stryker sold 201,392 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $392.24, for a total value of $78,993,998.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 3,642,075 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,428,567,498. The trade was a 5.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Allan C. Golston sold 2,458 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $383.07, for a total value of $941,586.06. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 14,895 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,705,827.65. This trade represents a 14.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 5.90% of the company’s stock.

Stryker Profile

Stryker Corporation operates as a medical technology company. The company operates through two segments, MedSurg and Neurotechnology, and Orthopaedics and Spine. The Orthopaedics and Spine segment provides implants for use in total joint replacements, such as hip, knee and shoulder, and trauma and extremities surgeries.