Merit Financial Group LLC Boosts Stake in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR)

Merit Financial Group LLC increased its position in Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR) by 59.4% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 23,695 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,834 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Emerson Electric were worth $2,937,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas began coverage on Emerson Electric in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $155.00 price target for the company. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Emerson Electric in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $135.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Emerson Electric in a report on Thursday, December 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Emerson Electric from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 1st. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on Emerson Electric from $116.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $135.89.

Insider Activity at Emerson Electric

In other news, SVP Michael H. Train sold 21,525 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.96, for a total value of $2,711,289.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 262,408 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $33,052,911.68. This trade represents a 7.58 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Emerson Electric Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of EMR stock opened at $124.65 on Monday. 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 Co. has a 12 month low of $91.64 and a 12 month high of $134.85. The stock 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 simple moving average of $127.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $115.27.

Emerson Electric Increases Dividend

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

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.