Russell Investments Group Ltd. Has $5.79 Million Position in Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. cut its holdings in shares of Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN) by 39.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 235,440 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 155,208 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned about 0.05% of Smith & Nephew worth $5,787,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Principal Securities Inc. increased its holdings in Smith & Nephew by 87.6% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,480 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 691 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Smith & Nephew in the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. National Bank of Canada FI increased its stake in shares of Smith & Nephew by 36.5% in the fourth quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 1,667 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 446 shares during the period. Hara Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Smith & Nephew by 391.4% during the fourth quarter. Hara Capital LLC now owns 2,457 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 1,957 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Smith & Nephew by 31.8% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,975 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $73,000 after acquiring an additional 718 shares during the period. 25.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Smith & Nephew Price Performance

Smith & Nephew stock opened at $25.84 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.96, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.71. Smith & Nephew plc has a 52-week low of $23.65 and a 52-week high of $31.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 2.51. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $27.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.58.

Smith & Nephew Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.447 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 28th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is a positive change from Smith & Nephew’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.29. Smith & Nephew’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.20%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Smith & Nephew from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. UBS Group downgraded shares of Smith & Nephew from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $27.00 target price on shares of Smith & Nephew in a report on Monday, March 17th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $27.00.

About Smith & Nephew

Smith & Nephew plc engages in the development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of medical devices. It operates through the following segments: Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine and ENT, and Advanced Wound Management. The Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine and ENT segment consists of the following businesses: knee implants, hip implants, other reconstruction, trauma, sports medicine joint repair, arthroscopic enabling technologies, and ENT.