Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 56,617 Shares of EnerSys (NYSE:ENS)

Principal Financial Group Inc. decreased its holdings in EnerSys (NYSE:ENS) by 7.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 696,441 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 56,617 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in EnerSys were worth $64,373,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of EnerSys during the 4th quarter worth $47,000. Millburn Ridgefield Corp purchased a new stake in EnerSys in the third quarter worth about $88,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of EnerSys in the third quarter worth about $125,000. CWM LLC lifted its position in shares of EnerSys by 48.6% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,479 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $151,000 after buying an additional 484 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its stake in shares of EnerSys by 64.0% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,863 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $172,000 after acquiring an additional 727 shares during the period. 94.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

EnerSys Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of ENS opened at $101.43 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 3.06, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market capitalization of $4.00 billion, a PE ratio of 12.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.22. The business’s 50 day moving average is $95.58 and its 200 day moving average is $97.37. EnerSys has a 12-month low of $88.50 and a 12-month high of $112.53.

EnerSys (NYSE:ENS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The industrial products company reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.27 by $0.85. EnerSys had a net margin of 9.23% and a return on equity of 20.78%. Research analysts expect that EnerSys will post 9.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

EnerSys Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.95%. EnerSys’s dividend payout ratio is presently 11.88%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO David M. Shaffer sold 20,000 shares of EnerSys stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.01, for a total transaction of $2,000,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 206,724 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,674,467.24. The trade was a 8.82 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.61% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on ENS shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of EnerSys from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of EnerSys from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $115.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, EnerSys currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $117.50.

EnerSys Profile

EnerSys engages in the provision of stored energy solutions for industrial applications worldwide. It operates in four segments: Energy Systems, Motive Power, Specialty, and New Ventures. The Energy Systems segment offers uninterruptible power systems (UPS) applications for computer and computer-controlled systems, as well as telecommunications systems; switchgear and electrical control systems used in industrial facilities and electric utilities, large-scale energy storage, and energy pipelines; integrated power solutions and services to broadband, telecom, data center, and renewable and industrial customers; and thermally managed cabinets and enclosures for electronic equipment and batteries.