Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) Upgraded to “Buy” by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Wednesday.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. 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. Oppenheimer upped their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $172.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, April 18th. Finally, Stephens upped their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $138.00 to $182.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $159.13.

Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:WMS opened at $158.52 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 3.03 and a quick ratio of 2.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.30 billion, a PE ratio of 25.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.51. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $164.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $141.32. Advanced Drainage Systems has a 1 year low of $81.25 and a 1 year high of $176.31.

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

Advanced Drainage Systems Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st were issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.35%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. Advanced Drainage Systems’s dividend payout ratio is presently 8.90%.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Advanced Drainage Systems in the first quarter worth $1,033,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 7.6% in the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 170,902 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $29,436,000 after acquiring an additional 12,109 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 63.3% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 74,851 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $12,892,000 after acquiring an additional 29,025 shares in the last quarter. Precision Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Advanced Drainage Systems in the first quarter worth $381,000. Finally, Smith Group Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Advanced Drainage Systems in the first quarter worth $222,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.83% of the company’s stock.

Advanced Drainage Systems Company Profile

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.