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

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the nine analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $186.00.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on WMS shares. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $180.00 to $198.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. UBS Group set a $215.00 price target on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $176.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on Advanced Drainage Systems from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st.

Advanced Drainage Systems Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of WMS stock opened at $170.63 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $13.29 billion, a PE ratio of 28.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.34. Advanced Drainage Systems has a 1 year low of $93.92 and a 1 year high of $179.32. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $156.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $148.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 4.12 and a quick ratio of 3.08.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The construction company reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.16. Advanced Drainage Systems had a return on equity of 27.72% and a net margin of 15.75%.The firm had revenue of $693.35 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $686.37 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.09 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Advanced Drainage Systems will post 6.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Advanced Drainage Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Advanced Drainage Systems

In other news, Director Robert M. Eversole sold 10,569 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.82, for a total value of $1,615,154.58. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 50,076 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,652,614.32. This represents a 17.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.63% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Advanced Drainage Systems

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bridges Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 32.9% in the third quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 28,122 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,901,000 after purchasing an additional 6,960 shares in the last quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in the 3rd quarter valued at about $24,314,000. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC grew its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 345.7% in the 3rd quarter. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 42,898 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $5,950,000 after buying an additional 33,274 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,321,000. Finally, Asset Management One Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 29.7% during the 3rd quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 19,982 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,772,000 after acquiring an additional 4,574 shares in the last quarter. 89.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Advanced Drainage Systems

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.