Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $170.29.

WMS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Barclays dropped their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $194.00 to $172.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on Advanced Drainage Systems from $195.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $174.00 to $161.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Loop Capital reduced their target price on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $180.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $135.00 price objective (down previously from $170.00) on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th.

Advanced Drainage Systems Price Performance

Shares of WMS stock opened at $116.22 on Wednesday. Advanced Drainage Systems has a 52-week low of $113.88 and a 52-week high of $184.27. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $137.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $150.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a current ratio of 3.19. The stock has a market cap of $9.01 billion, a PE ratio of 18.51, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.48.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 8th. The construction company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.93 by ($0.23). Advanced Drainage Systems had a net margin of 16.89% and a return on equity of 40.31%. The firm had revenue of $782.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $819.41 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.71 EPS. Advanced Drainage Systems’s quarterly revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Advanced Drainage Systems will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were paid a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.55%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. Advanced Drainage Systems’s payout ratio is 10.19%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Advanced Drainage Systems

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Raymond James & Associates lifted its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 5.8% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 47,575 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $7,630,000 after purchasing an additional 2,598 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 211.3% in the second quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 10,159 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,629,000 after purchasing an additional 6,896 shares during the last quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management lifted its stake in Advanced Drainage Systems by 22.3% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 2,343 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $376,000 after acquiring an additional 428 shares in the last quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC grew its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC now owns 80,137 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $12,853,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. boosted its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 933.2% in the 2nd quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 25,128 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $4,030,000 after buying an additional 22,696 shares during the last quarter. 89.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.