Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN) Shares Sold by Inspire Advisors LLC

Inspire Advisors LLC cut its holdings in shares of Smith & Nephew plc (NYSE:SNN) by 5.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 20,610 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,083 shares during the quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC’s holdings in Smith & Nephew were worth $507,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Principal Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in Smith & Nephew by 87.6% in the 4th 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 last quarter. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Smith & Nephew in the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Hara Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Smith & Nephew by 391.4% in the 4th quarter. Hara Capital LLC now owns 2,457 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 1,957 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Smith & Nephew by 31.8% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,975 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 718 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in Smith & Nephew by 26.0% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 5,871 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $144,000 after purchasing an additional 1,213 shares during the last quarter. 25.64% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Smith & Nephew Stock Performance

Shares of SNN stock opened at $29.87 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $26.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $27.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 2.51. Smith & Nephew plc has a one year low of $23.65 and a one year high of $31.72. The firm has a market cap of $13.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.83.

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 $0.447 dividend. This is a positive change from Smith & Nephew’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.29. This represents a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 28th. Smith & Nephew’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.20%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on SNN shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Smith & Nephew from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $27.00 target price on shares of Smith & Nephew in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.