Fisher Asset Management LLC Cuts Stock Position in Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS)

Fisher Asset Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) by 0.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 31,659 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 138 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems were worth $3,660,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 8.8% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,541,688 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $399,452,000 after purchasing an additional 206,105 shares during the last quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc boosted its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 34.6% during the fourth quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 2,530,000 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $291,723,000 after buying an additional 650,052 shares during the period. Swedbank AB grew its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 5.8% during the third quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 1,384,276 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $217,553,000 after buying an additional 75,455 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 5.2% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,186,878 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $186,578,000 after buying an additional 59,158 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV lifted its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 21.2% in 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 last quarter. 89.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WMS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. KeyCorp decreased their price target 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 cut their target price on 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. UBS Group raised shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Barclays cut their price objective on Advanced Drainage Systems from $160.00 to $149.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Loop Capital decreased their target price on 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Advanced Drainage Systems currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.25.

Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Down 0.3 %

Advanced Drainage Systems stock opened at $107.45 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $8.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.97, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a current ratio of 3.21, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has a 12 month low of $101.90 and a 12 month high of $184.27. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $119.18 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $135.34.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The construction company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by ($0.25). Advanced Drainage Systems had a net margin of 15.90% and a return on equity of 35.79%. Equities analysts predict that Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will post 6.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.60%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Advanced Drainage Systems’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.70%.

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.