Willis Investment Counsel Sells 9,100 Shares of Eaton Corporation, PLC $ETN

Willis Investment Counsel decreased its holdings in Eaton Corporation, PLC (NYSE:ETN) by 11.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 67,873 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 9,100 shares during the period. Eaton makes up about 1.3% of Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings in Eaton were worth $29,166,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Eaton by 19.6% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 6,827,266 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,909,235,000 after purchasing an additional 1,120,567 shares during the period. National Pension Service boosted its position in Eaton by 3.5% during the second quarter. National Pension Service now owns 864,731 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $368,479,000 after buying an additional 29,436 shares during the period. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd boosted its position in Eaton by 112.6% during the first quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 336,060 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $120,199,000 after buying an additional 178,000 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its stake in shares of Eaton by 87.1% during the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 282,750 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $121,501,000 after buying an additional 131,624 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Eaton by 12.1% during the first quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 266,845 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $95,442,000 after buying an additional 28,815 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.97% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gerald Johnson acquired 130 shares of Eaton stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $455.90 per share, with a total value of $59,267.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 1,829 shares in the company, valued at $833,841.10. This trade represents a 7.65% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Adam A. Wadecki sold 525 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $440.54, for a total transaction of $231,283.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 1,054 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $464,329.16. This trade represents a 33.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Eaton Trading Down 2.7%

NYSE:ETN traded down $10.73 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $380.77. 1,481,937 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,519,018. Eaton Corporation, PLC has a 12-month low of $311.92 and a 12-month high of $478.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $147.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.71, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.24 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $421.96 and a 200-day moving average price of $410.95.

Eaton (NYSE:ETN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The industrial products company reported $3.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.08 by $0.07. Eaton had a return on equity of 24.58% and a net margin of 12.75%. The business had revenue of $8.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.16 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.95 EPS. Eaton’s quarterly revenue was up 21.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Eaton has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.460-3.560 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 13.400-13.600 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Eaton Corporation, PLC will post 13.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Eaton Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 28th. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th were issued a dividend of $1.10 per share. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 7th. Eaton’s dividend payout ratio is currently 44.76%.

Eaton News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Eaton this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Eaton’s second-quarter electrical backlog rose 43% year over year, while companywide organic sales increased 14%. The backlog highlights continued demand from data centers, grid modernization and broader electrification, although investors will want evidence that orders convert into durable earnings and cash flow without excessive capital spending. Eaton: Will Its Electrical Backlog Translate Into Lasting Earnings Power?
• Positive Sentiment: The company previously exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $3.15 in earnings per share versus the $3.08 consensus and revenue of $8.53 billion versus expectations of $8.16 billion. Management’s 2026 guidance calls for third-quarter EPS of $3.46–$3.56 and full-year EPS of $13.40–$13.60.
• Neutral Sentiment: Eaton will release third-quarter results on November 3 and hold an investor conference call the same day. The announcement itself provides no change to guidance, but the upcoming report could clarify backlog conversion, margins, cash flow and demand trends. Eaton to announce third-quarter 2026 earnings
• Negative Sentiment: At roughly 39.7 times earnings, Eaton trades above its recent 12-quarter average multiple of 35.9 times. That premium leaves less room for disappointing guidance or slower backlog conversion, particularly after the stock’s weaker performance than the broader market over the past year. What Could Eaton Stock Be Worth In Three Years?
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst comparisons currently favor Forgent over Eaton as a data-center power investment, citing Forgent’s faster projected earnings growth and backlog coverage. This may be encouraging investors to rotate toward higher-growth alternatives. Forgent vs. Eaton: Which Data Center Power Stock Is the Better Buy?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ETN has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Argus boosted their target price on Eaton from $475.00 to $528.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on Eaton from $386.00 to $403.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Eaton from $500.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 28th. UBS Group upgraded Eaton from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $450.00 to $515.00 in a research report on Monday, September 7th. Finally, Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on Eaton from $465.00 to $525.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Eaton has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $484.10.

Eaton Company Profile

Eaton Corporation plc is a global intelligent power management company that helps businesses, utilities, data centers, manufacturers and other organizations manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more safely, efficiently and reliably. Its solutions support applications ranging from power distribution and backup systems to industrial automation, building infrastructure and transportation.

The company’s Electrical segment provides products and systems such as circuit breakers, switchgear, power distribution equipment, surge protection, energy management software and data center power solutions.