SPC Financial Inc. Purchases 40 Shares of Eaton Co. plc (NYSE:ETN)

SPC Financial Inc. increased its position in Eaton Co. plc (NYSE:ETN) by 0.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 11,809 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 40 shares during the quarter. SPC Financial Inc.’s holdings in Eaton were worth $3,919,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its holdings in shares of Eaton by 9.9% during the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 251,983 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $83,517,000 after purchasing an additional 22,637 shares during the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Eaton in the third quarter worth approximately $207,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its stake in Eaton by 36.7% in the third quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 451 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $149,000 after buying an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc acquired a new position in shares of Eaton during the third quarter worth $2,347,000. Finally, FSM Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Eaton during the third quarter valued at $216,000. Institutional investors own 82.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gregory R. Page sold 10,000 shares of Eaton stock in a transaction on Friday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.98, for a total transaction of $3,559,800.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 43,203 shares in the company, valued at $15,379,403.94. This trade represents a 18.80 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Eaton Stock Performance

Shares of ETN stock opened at $278.94 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. Eaton Co. plc has a 52 week low of $255.65 and a 52 week high of $379.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $110.24 billion, a PE ratio of 29.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.05. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $324.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $332.49.

Eaton (NYSE:ETN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $2.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.82 by $0.01. Eaton had a net margin of 15.25% and a return on equity of 22.62%. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.55 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Eaton Co. plc will post 12.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eaton Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.04 per share. This is a positive change from Eaton’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.94. This represents a $4.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.49%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. Eaton’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.79%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on ETN shares. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on shares of Eaton in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $382.00 price objective on the stock. Melius Research restated a “hold” rating and set a $373.00 price target on shares of Eaton in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Eaton in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $431.00 price objective for the company. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on shares of Eaton from $382.00 to $326.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Eaton in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $364.65.

Eaton Profile

Eaton Corporation plc operates as a power management company worldwide. The company’s Electrical Americas and Electrical Global segment provides electrical components, industrial components, power distribution and assemblies, residential products, single and three phase power quality and connectivity products, wiring devices, circuit protection products, utility power distribution products, power reliability equipment, and services, as well as hazardous duty electrical equipment, emergency lighting, fire detection, explosion-proof instrumentation, and structural support systems.