Vontier (NYSE:VNT) Shares Fall - Is It Time to Sell?

Vontier Co. (NYSE:VNT) saw its shares gap down before the market opened on Thursday. The stock finished the previous trading day at $40.32 but opened at $38.55. As it stood last, Vontier shares were priced at $38.22, with a trading volume of 908,712 shares.

Analysts Adjust Price Targets

Recent activity from various research firms has led to adjustments in Vontier's price targets. Barclays raised their projection from $45.00 to $46.00 while assigning the stock an "overweight" rating in a report dated February 14. Citigroup, however, lowered their target from $46.00 to $44.00 and maintained a "buy" rating on January 13. Wolfe Research upgraded Vontier from a "peer perform" rating to "outperform" and set a price target of $48.00 as of December 12. Similarly, Robert W. Baird increased the target from $42.00 to $43.00, classifying the stock as neutral. Additionally, UBS Group began coverage of Vontier and provided a "buy" rating with a target price set at $47.00. Currently, three analysts recommend holding the stock, while five favor buying. The average rating stands at "Moderate Buy" with a mean target price of $44.88 according to MarketBeat.

Vontier Shares Down 4.3%

The stock has a 50-day moving average of $37.73 and a 200-day moving average of $36.22. Financial stats show a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 1.51, and a quick ratio of 1.14. Vontier boasts a market capitalization of $5.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28, and a beta of 1.26.

In its latest quarterly earnings report released on February 13, Vontier reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.80, which surpassed the analyst consensus estimate of $0.79 by $0.01. The company achieved a return on equity of 43.22% and maintained a net margin of 14.17%, with revenue recorded at $776.80 million for the quarter. Analysts predict that Vontier will report an EPS of 3.13 for the current fiscal year.

Upcoming Dividend Announcement

Vontier has also announced a quarterly dividend, set to be paid on March 27. Shareholders on record by March 6 will receive a dividend of $0.025 per share. The ex-dividend date is also March 6. This translates to an annualized dividend of $0.10 with a yield of 0.26%. Currently, Vontier's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 3.64%.

Institutional Buying and Selling Trends

Institutional investors have been active with Vontier's shares recently. For instance, Fuller & Thaler Asset Management raised its stake in Vontier by 5.5%, acquiring an additional 173,542 shares during the fourth quarter, bringing their total to 3,323,491 shares worth approximately $121.2 million. Dimensional Fund Advisors increased its holdings by 2.9% in the same quarter. Other notable adjustments included Geode Capital Management, Ameriprise Financial, and River Road Asset Management adding to their positions, indicating strong interest from institutional investors, who collectively own 95.83% of Vontier's stock.

About Vontier

Vontier Corporation offers solutions within the mobility ecosystem globally. It operates through Mobility Technologies, Repair Solutions, and Environmental and Fueling Solutions segments. The Mobility Technologies division focuses on providing digital equipment solutions for the mobility ecosystem, which includes point-of-sale systems, payment solutions, workflow automation, telematics, data analytics, and integrated alternative fuel dispensing solutions.

Conclusion

With recent developments leading to a drop in Vontier's stock price, potential investors may wonder if this is a sign to sell. Analysts remain divided, with a mix of hold and buy recommendations and varied target price adjustments. Investors are encouraged to assess their individual strategies and consider recent market trends before making decisions.

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