WCM Investment Management LLC Sells 3,635 Shares of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. $WMS

WCM Investment Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) by 3.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 113,937 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 3,635 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems were worth $14,978,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its stake in Advanced Drainage Systems by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 2,170 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $314,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC now owns 16,007 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,318,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. MML Investors Services LLC boosted its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 1,961 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $284,000 after buying an additional 64 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 24.4% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 377 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 78.1% during the first quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 244 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the period. 89.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Down 3.1%

NYSE WMS opened at $143.00 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $142.08 and its 200 day moving average is $148.90. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has a 12 month low of $110.79 and a 12 month high of $179.32. The stock has a market cap of $10.96 billion, a PE ratio of 26.29, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a current ratio of 2.42, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The construction company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.12. Advanced Drainage Systems had a return on equity of 26.63% and a net margin of 13.98%.The firm had revenue of $676.76 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $651.92 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.03 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will post 6.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st were paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Advanced Drainage Systems’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. Advanced Drainage Systems’s payout ratio is currently 14.71%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on WMS. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a report on Friday. Stephens upgraded shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $190.00 to $175.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $168.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $187.00.

Advanced Drainage Systems 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.