Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Sells 3,981 Shares of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS)

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC decreased its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) by 31.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,812 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 3,981 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems were worth $1,019,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WMS. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 8.8% in the third 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 in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 50.4% in 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 acquiring an additional 32,418 shares in the last quarter. Zacks Investment Management bought a new stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems during the 3rd quarter valued at $2,694,000. KBC Group NV lifted its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 21.2% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 738,749 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $85,399,000 after acquiring an additional 129,252 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,186,878 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $186,578,000 after purchasing an additional 59,158 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.83% of the company’s stock.

Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Performance

NYSE WMS opened at $108.62 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $116.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $129.92. The stock has a market cap of $8.43 billion, a PE ratio of 18.16, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a current ratio of 3.21. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $101.90 and a fifty-two 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%. On average, equities analysts expect that Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will post 6.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. StockNews.com raised Advanced Drainage Systems from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research report on Friday, February 7th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Loop Capital lowered their price objective on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $160.00 to $149.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $164.25.

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.