Allegion plc (NYSE:ALLE) Shares Acquired by Daiwa Securities Group Inc.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Allegion plc (NYSE:ALLE) by 73.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 18,761 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,950 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Allegion were worth $2,452,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in Allegion in the third quarter valued at $4,988,000. Crew Capital Management Ltd. increased its position in Allegion by 224.9% in the 4th quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd. now owns 5,810 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $759,000 after acquiring an additional 4,022 shares during the period. Qsemble Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Allegion during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $891,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its stake in Allegion by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 204,500 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $26,724,000 after acquiring an additional 8,806 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its position in Allegion by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,175,995 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $154,643,000 after acquiring an additional 49,176 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.21% of the company’s stock.

Allegion Stock Performance

Shares of ALLE opened at $124.96 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. Allegion plc has a 52-week low of $113.27 and a 52-week high of $156.10. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $129.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $136.88. The company has a market capitalization of $10.78 billion, a PE ratio of 18.32, a P/E/G ratio of 3.97 and a beta of 1.11.

Allegion (NYSE:ALLE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.86 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.11. Allegion had a return on equity of 45.12% and a net margin of 15.84%. The business had revenue of $945.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $938.91 million. Equities research analysts predict that Allegion plc will post 7.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Allegion Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.63%. This is a boost from Allegion’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. Allegion’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.91%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Allegion from $140.00 to $135.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Allegion from $137.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. StockNews.com cut shares of Allegion from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Allegion from $134.00 to $130.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Allegion from $152.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $138.33.

Insider Transactions at Allegion

In other Allegion news, SVP Tracy L. Kemp sold 2,032 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.74, for a total transaction of $257,535.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 10,273 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,302,000.02. This trade represents a 16.51 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP David S. Ilardi sold 789 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.28, for a total transaction of $98,845.92. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 9,625 shares in the company, valued at $1,205,820. This trade represents a 7.58 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 3,224 shares of company stock valued at $406,636 in the last 90 days. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Allegion Company Profile

Allegion plc manufactures and sells mechanical and electronic security products and solutions worldwide. The company offers door controls and systems and exit devices; locks, locksets, portable locks, and key systems and services; electronic security products and access control systems; time, attendance, and workforce productivity systems; doors, accessories, and other.