27,661 Shares in Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. $WMS Purchased by Capital Investment Counsel LLC

Capital Investment Counsel LLC acquired a new stake in Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 27,661 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,793,000.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 352.0% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 226 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 78.1% in the 1st 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 last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in Advanced Drainage Systems in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Advanced Drainage Systems in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Advanced Drainage Systems during the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.83% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on WMS shares. Zacks Research cut Advanced Drainage Systems from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $198.00 to $181.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $215.00 to $205.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $168.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Advanced Drainage Systems has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $185.75.

Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Performance

Shares of WMS opened at $154.11 on Tuesday. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has a 1 year low of $109.63 and a 1 year high of $179.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.81 billion, a PE ratio of 28.33, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.42. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $141.92 and a 200-day simple moving average of $148.75.

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

Advanced Drainage Systems Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st were given a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is a boost from Advanced Drainage Systems’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. Advanced Drainage Systems’s payout ratio is currently 14.71%.

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.