Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the six brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on SNN shares. StockNews.com raised Smith & Nephew from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Smith & Nephew in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of Smith & Nephew from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 5th.

Smith & Nephew Stock Performance

Shares of Smith & Nephew stock opened at $30.80 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. The company has a 50 day moving average of $30.25 and a 200-day moving average of $27.16. Smith & Nephew has a 1-year low of $21.52 and a 1-year high of $31.72.

Smith & Nephew Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 8th. Investors of record on Friday, October 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.288 per share. This is an increase from Smith & Nephew’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.24. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 4th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.4%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Smith & Nephew

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Scharf Investments LLC grew its holdings in shares of Smith & Nephew by 0.5% during the first quarter. Scharf Investments LLC now owns 2,996,264 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $75,985,000 after purchasing an additional 15,930 shares during the last quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP increased its position in Smith & Nephew by 20.5% in the 2nd quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 1,373,051 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $34,002,000 after acquiring an additional 233,293 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Smith & Nephew by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,343,712 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $36,656,000 after acquiring an additional 44,445 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its holdings in shares of Smith & Nephew by 355.8% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,235,916 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $31,059,000 after purchasing an additional 964,762 shares during the period. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its stake in shares of Smith & Nephew by 20.9% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 1,003,050 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $27,363,000 after purchasing an additional 173,448 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 25.64% of the company’s stock.

About Smith & Nephew

Smith & Nephew plc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells medical devices and services in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through three segments: Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine & ENT, and Advanced Wound Management. The company offers knee implant products for knee replacement procedures; hip implants for revision procedures; trauma and extremities products that include internal and external devices used in the stabilization of severe fractures and deformity correction procedures; and other reconstruction products.