Vontier (NYSE:VNT) Shares Gap Down – What’s Next?

Shares of Vontier Co. (NYSE:VNT) gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $40.32, but opened at $38.55. Vontier shares last traded at $38.22, with a volume of 908,712 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VNT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Vontier from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Wolfe Research upgraded Vontier from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $48.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Vontier from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Vontier in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $47.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Vontier from $46.00 to $44.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.88.

Vontier Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.97, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.51. The stock has a market cap of $5.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.03, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.26. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $37.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $36.22.

Vontier (NYSE:VNT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The company reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.79 by $0.01. Vontier had a net margin of 14.17% and a return on equity of 43.22%. The business had revenue of $776.80 million during the quarter. On average, equities analysts expect that Vontier Co. will post 3.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Vontier Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 6th will be paid a $0.025 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 6th. This represents a $0.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.26%. Vontier’s dividend payout ratio is 3.64%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vontier

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Vontier by 137.7% during the fourth quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 744 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vontier by 2,976.5% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 1,046 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 1,012 shares during the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vontier during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in Vontier in the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in Vontier by 37.1% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,461 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 395 shares during the last quarter. 95.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Vontier

Vontier Corporation provides mobility ecosystem solutions worldwide. The company operates through Mobility Technologies, Repair Solutions, and Environmental and Fueling Solutions segments. The Mobility Technologies segment provides digitally equipment solutions for mobility ecosystem, such as point-of-sale and payment systems, workflow automation, telematics, data analytics, software platform, and integrated solutions for alternative fuel dispensing.