Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) Stake Trimmed by HighTower Advisors LLC

HighTower Advisors LLC lowered its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) by 43.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 10,749 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 8,389 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems were worth $1,243,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 781 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $90,000 after buying an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 12.0% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,005 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $116,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 2,390 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $276,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich increased its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 7.4% during the 4th quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 1,812 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $231,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 18.3% in the 4th quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 884 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $102,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. 89.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on WMS shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $135.00 price objective on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research note on Friday, February 7th. UBS Group raised shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Loop Capital reduced their target price on Advanced Drainage Systems from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $160.00 to $149.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.25.

Advanced Drainage Systems Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE WMS opened at $111.15 on Wednesday. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $101.90 and a fifty-two week high of $184.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 3.21 and a quick ratio of 1.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.61. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $117.76 and its 200 day simple moving average is $130.82.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The construction company reported $1.09 EPS 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%. On average, analysts predict that Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will post 6.1 EPS for the current year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were given a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.58%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was 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.