Xylem Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:XYL)

Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL) was the target of some unusual options trading on Thursday. Stock traders bought 19,255 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 1,138% compared to the typical volume of 1,555 call options.

Xylem Stock Down 0.7%

NYSE XYL traded down $0.83 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $112.59. 951,197 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,971,277. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $118.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of $119.13. Xylem has a 52-week low of $105.29 and a 52-week high of $154.27. The firm has a market cap of $26.29 billion, a PE ratio of 26.82, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.61 and a quick ratio of 1.24.

Xylem (NYSE:XYL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $2.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.34 billion. Xylem had a return on equity of 11.77% and a net margin of 11.15%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.26 earnings per share. Xylem has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.550-5.700 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Xylem will post 5.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Xylem Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.43 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 27th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Xylem’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on XYL. Mizuho upped their target price on Xylem from $124.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Xylem from $163.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Xylem from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Xylem from $159.00 to $164.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Xylem from $157.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Xylem presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $155.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Xylem

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in XYL. Callahan Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Xylem during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,721,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in Xylem by 2,309.7% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 431,824 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $54,314,000 after purchasing an additional 413,904 shares during the last quarter. Abacus Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Xylem in the 4th quarter worth $1,663,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Xylem in the 4th quarter worth about $361,012,000. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc raised its position in shares of Xylem by 608.1% during the 4th quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc now owns 32,990 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $4,493,000 after buying an additional 28,331 shares in the last quarter. 87.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Xylem

Xylem Inc (NYSE: XYL) is a global water technology company that designs, manufactures and services engineered systems and equipment for the transport, treatment, testing and efficient use of water. Its product portfolio spans pumps and pumping systems, valves, filtration and disinfection equipment, sensors and analytical instruments, and digital solutions for monitoring and control of water infrastructure. Xylem serves the full water cycle with offerings for water and wastewater utilities, industrial customers, commercial and residential buildings, and agricultural applications.

The company was established as an independent publicly traded company in 2011 following a corporate spin-off from ITT Corporation and is headquartered in Rye Brook, New York.