DAVENPORT 13F: Cuts Avery Dennison (AVY) Stake by $46M

Institutional investor Davenport significantly pared back its stake in Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY), according to a Form 13F filing with the SEC on October 14, 2026. Keep in mind that 13F filings are backward-looking documents that show holdings as of the close of a reporting period and may not reflect the investor's current positioning today.

Inside Davenport's Avery Dennison Trade

Davenport cut its investment by a sharp 98.4%, selling 271,128 shares during the period. The reduction left the firm holding just 4,225 shares of the packaging company. Based on the filing's valuation metrics, the remaining stake was worth about $721,033, down from a much larger prior holding of 275,353 shares.

Other Institutional Activity in Avery Dennison

Other major investment firms made varying adjustments to their Avery Dennison shares during the quarter. Blackrock Inc. grew its holdings by 100,205 shares, ending with 6,482,687 shares worth about $1,136,479,842. Wellington Management Group, LLP raised its stake by 481,843 shares to finish with 5,788,479 shares valued at approximately $1,014,778,239. Vanguard Capital Management LLC trimmed its position slightly by 5,511 shares, leaving it with 5,004,194 shares worth about $877,285,237. Meanwhile, Vanguard Portfolio Management LLC boosted its holdings by 1,459 shares to reach 4,865,518 shares valued at roughly $852,973,948, and State Street Corporation lifted its stake by 289,524 shares, ending with 4,044,695 shares worth about $709,075,470.

Avery Dennison Corporation Stock Down 0.6%

Avery Dennison shares recently traded around $174.78 as of October 16, 2026. The stock sits about 0.5% above its 50-day moving average of $173.84 and roughly 1.5% above its 200-day moving average of $172.20. Shares trade about 12.4% below their 52-week high of $199.54 and remain 14.7% above their 52-week low of $152.42.

Recent Earnings

The company reported trailing-twelve-month revenue of $9,248,100,352 alongside trailing earnings of $9.13 per share. Avery Dennison posted a net profit margin of 7.6% and generated a return on equity of 31.2%. Investors are watching for the next earnings update slated for October 29, 2026.

Dividend

Avery Dennison currently pays an annual dividend rate of $4.00 per share, giving it a dividend yield of 2.27%. The company pays out 41.8% of its earnings as dividends.

Insider Buying and Selling at Avery Dennison Corporation

Company insiders executed several stock transactions prior to the filing. Director Mitchell R. Butier disposed of 40,000 shares on March 10, 2026, with a total value of $7,032,278, and later sold another 33,000 shares on March 12, 2026, valued at $5,707,209. Officer Ignacio J. Walker sold 1,742 shares on August 4, 2026, at an average price of $171.61 for a total of $298,945. Chief Technology Officer Nicholas R. Colisto sold 3,886 shares on September 15, 2026, at an average price of $170.68, totaling $663,264.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Wall Street firms updated their outlooks on the stock ahead of the filing. Truist Securities maintained its Buy rating on July 15, 2026, with a price target of $209. UBS kept a Buy rating on July 31, 2026, raising its target to $225. Citigroup maintained a Neutral rating on July 31, 2026, setting a target of $186. JP Morgan kept an Overweight rating on July 31, 2026, with a target of $190. Truist Securities reaffirmed its Buy rating on October 12, 2026, adjusting its target to $208. Overall, the stock carries a consensus buy recommendation from 10 analysts, with a mean price target of $199.50.

About Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison Corporation operates as a global materials science and digital identification solutions enterprise. Headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, the company employs roughly 35,000 people and serves clients across North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East by manufacturing labeling and packaging materials.

Bottom Line

Davenport's large reduction in Avery Dennison shares highlights how institutional preferences shift from quarter to quarter. Investors should monitor upcoming financial results on October 29, 2026, for further insight into the company's business performance.