Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. Lowers Stake in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR)

Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. reduced its position in shares of Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR) by 2.1% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 91,815 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 2,015 shares during the period. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Emerson Electric were worth $11,379,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. GDS Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of Emerson Electric by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. GDS Wealth Management now owns 3,965 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $491,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. Mcdonald Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Emerson Electric by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Mcdonald Partners LLC now owns 14,207 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,761,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Berkshire Bank boosted its position in shares of Emerson Electric by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Berkshire Bank now owns 2,588 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $321,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Little House Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Emerson Electric by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Little House Capital LLC now owns 17,009 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,108,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust boosted its position in Emerson Electric by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 1,749 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $217,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. 74.30% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Emerson Electric Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:EMR opened at $118.66 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $123.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $118.73. Emerson Electric Co. has a 12 month low of $96.62 and a 12 month high of $134.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.36.

Emerson Electric (NYSE:EMR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The industrial products company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 predict that Emerson Electric Co. will post 5.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Emerson Electric Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a $0.5275 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $2.11 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.78%. Emerson Electric’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.36%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on EMR shares. Loop Capital raised their price target on shares of Emerson Electric from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. Daiwa America raised shares of Emerson Electric to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of Emerson Electric in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $155.00 price target for the company. Daiwa Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Emerson Electric in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $147.00 price target for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Emerson Electric from $105.00 to $112.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $137.67.

Emerson Electric Company Profile

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.