Northcoast Research Begins Coverage on Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS)

Stock analysts at Northcoast Research initiated coverage on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm set a “buy” rating and a $190.00 price target on the construction company’s stock. Northcoast Research’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 10.24% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Stephens lifted their price target on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $138.00 to $182.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $160.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $172.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.56.

Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Performance

WMS stock opened at $172.35 on Wednesday. Advanced Drainage Systems has a 1-year low of $84.71 and a 1-year high of $176.31. The company has a current ratio of 3.03, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The firm has a market cap of $13.38 billion, a PE ratio of 27.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.51. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $164.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $143.49.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The construction company reported $1.37 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.44. Advanced Drainage Systems had a return on equity of 49.79% and a net margin of 17.65%. The company had revenue of $662.37 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $632.69 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.99 earnings per share. Advanced Drainage Systems’s revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Advanced Drainage Systems will post 6.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Advanced Drainage Systems

In related news, EVP Michael G. Huebert sold 10,000 shares of Advanced Drainage Systems stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.52, for a total value of $1,635,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13,450 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,199,344. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Michael G. Huebert sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.52, for a total value of $1,635,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,450 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,199,344. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Ross M. Jones sold 762,895 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $163.00, for a total transaction of $124,351,885.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 70,749 shares in the company, valued at $11,532,087. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.79% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Advanced Drainage Systems

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 319.4% during the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 151 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems during the 1st quarter worth about $32,000. Institutional investors own 89.83% of the company’s stock.

About Advanced Drainage Systems

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc designs, manufactures, and markets thermoplastic corrugated pipes and related water management products, and drainage solutions for use in the construction and agriculture marketplaces in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and internationally. The company operates through Pipe, International, Infiltrator, and Allied Products & Other segments.