Rathbones Group PLC Sells 21,360 Shares of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. $WMS

Rathbones Group PLC lowered its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) by 14.0% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 130,792 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 21,360 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC’s holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems were worth $17,936,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in Advanced Drainage Systems by 352.0% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 226 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 78.1% in the first quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 244 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in the third quarter worth $36,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Institutional investors own 89.83% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on WMS shares. Oppenheimer reduced their target price on Advanced Drainage Systems from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Advanced Drainage Systems in a report on Thursday, June 11th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $168.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Advanced Drainage Systems presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $187.00.

Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Performance

NYSE WMS opened at $145.20 on Tuesday. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has a 52-week low of $112.67 and a 52-week high of $179.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.42. The company has a market capitalization of $11.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a fifty day moving average of $143.15 and a 200-day moving average of $148.18.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The construction company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $676.76 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $651.92 million. Advanced Drainage Systems had a net margin of 13.98% and a return on equity of 26.63%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.03 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will post 6.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st were issued a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This is an increase from Advanced Drainage Systems’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. Advanced Drainage Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.71%.

Advanced Drainage Systems Company Profile

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc (NYSE: WMS) is a leading manufacturer and supplier of water management solutions in North America. Headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio, the company specializes in the design, production and distribution of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) drainage pipe and related products. Its core business addresses stormwater management, on-site septic systems and erosion control for residential, commercial and infrastructure projects.

The company’s product portfolio includes corrugated plastic pipe, tubing, fittings, geocells, geogrids and stormwater structures such as inlets, manholes and detention/retention systems.