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

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eight have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $157.1111.

WMS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $176.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Advanced Drainage Systems from $158.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, KeyCorp raised their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $159.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th.

Insider Activity

In other Advanced Drainage Systems news, insider Tim A. Makowski sold 4,901 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.21, for a total value of $731,278.21. Following the sale, the insider owned 2,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $368,101.07. This trade represents a 66.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Thomas J. Sr. Waun sold 1,272 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.30, for a total value of $188,637.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 797 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $118,195.10. This represents a 61.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 97,772 shares of company stock valued at $14,605,539 over the last quarter. 1.63% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Advanced Drainage Systems

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 352.0% during 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 during the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in Advanced Drainage Systems during the third quarter worth $28,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Advanced Drainage Systems in the third quarter valued at $33,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. lifted its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 1,242.1% in the third quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 255 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 236 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Advanced Drainage Systems during the third quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.83% of the company’s stock.

Advanced Drainage Systems Trading Up 3.2%

Shares of Advanced Drainage Systems stock opened at $149.53 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 2.60 and a current ratio of 3.48. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $146.74 and a 200-day moving average of $136.90. Advanced Drainage Systems has a 52-week low of $93.92 and a 52-week high of $155.39. The stock has a market cap of $11.63 billion, a PE ratio of 25.52, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.33.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The construction company reported $1.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.70 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $850.38 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $802.49 million. Advanced Drainage Systems had a net margin of 15.35% and a return on equity of 28.85%. The business’s revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.70 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Advanced Drainage Systems will post 6.1 EPS for the current year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. Advanced Drainage Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.29%.

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.