Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eight research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $164.25.

WMS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com raised Advanced Drainage Systems from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $135.00 target price on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Barclays lowered their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $160.00 to $149.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. UBS Group upgraded Advanced Drainage Systems from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Loop Capital lowered their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Advanced Drainage Systems

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 8.8% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,541,688 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $399,452,000 after buying an additional 206,105 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 50.4% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 96,764 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $11,186,000 after buying an additional 32,418 shares during the last quarter. Zacks Investment Management purchased a new position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems during the 3rd quarter worth $2,694,000. Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP purchased a new position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems during the 3rd quarter worth $8,540,000. Finally, Swedbank AB lifted its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 1,384,276 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $217,553,000 after purchasing an additional 75,455 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.83% of the company’s stock.

Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Up 3.3 %

WMS opened at $108.74 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $118.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $133.07. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 3.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. The company has a market cap of $8.44 billion, a PE ratio of 18.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.61. Advanced Drainage Systems has a 52 week low of $101.90 and a 52 week high of $184.27.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The construction company reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by ($0.25). Advanced Drainage Systems had a return on equity of 35.79% and a net margin of 15.90%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Advanced Drainage Systems will post 6.1 EPS for the current year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. Advanced Drainage Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.70%.

Advanced Drainage Systems Company Profile

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc designs, manufactures, and markets thermoplastic corrugated pipes and related water management products in North America and internationally. The company operates through Pipe, International, Infiltrator, and Allied Products & Other segments. It offers single, double, and triple wall corrugated polypropylene and polyethylene pipes; plastic leachfield chambers and systems; EZflow synthetic aggregate bundles; wastewater purification through mechanical aeration wastewater for residential and commercial systems; septic tanks and accessories; combined treatment and dispersal systems, including advanced enviro-septic and advanced treatment leachfield systems; and allied products, including storm retention/detention and septic chambers, polyvinyl chloride drainage structures, fittings, and water quality filters and separators.