Franklin Resources Inc. Purchases 410,112 Shares of Avient Corporation $AVNT

Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in Avient Corporation (NYSE:AVNT) by 11.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,090,286 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 410,112 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 4.47% of Avient worth $127,781,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Avient in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Avient by 342.3% during the 4th quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 942 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 729 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in Avient during the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Quarry LP increased its holdings in Avient by 83.1% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,234 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 560 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in Avient during the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. 95.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Avient Stock Down 1.1%

NYSE:AVNT opened at $35.08 on Thursday. Avient Corporation has a 12-month low of $27.48 and a 12-month high of $44.85. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.28. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $35.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $35.39.

Avient (NYSE:AVNT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.02. Avient had a return on equity of 11.11% and a net margin of 4.81%.The business had revenue of $847.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $846.35 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.76 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Avient has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.890-0.890 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.930-3.170 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Avient Corporation will post 3.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Avient Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.275 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 18th. This represents a $1.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. Avient’s payout ratio is currently 63.95%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Avient from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Truist Financial assumed coverage on Avient in a research note on Monday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $44.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Avient in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Avient in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $43.00 price target on Avient in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $45.71.

Avient Profile

Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT) is a global provider of specialized and sustainable polymer materials, delivering color, additive and engineered solutions to a wide range of industries. The company’s core offerings include masterbatches, colorant systems, compounds and resins designed to enhance performance, aesthetics and environmental sustainability. Avient serves markets such as packaging, automotive, consumer goods, healthcare, electronics, and agriculture, tailoring products to meet stringent regulatory and end-use requirements.

Formed through a corporate rebranding in 2020 following the divestiture of PolyOne’s specialty businesses, Avient traces its heritage to a legacy of polymer innovation spanning decades.