Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. $WMS Shares Bought by Candriam S.C.A.

Candriam S.C.A. lifted its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) by 27.5% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 120,179 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 25,909 shares during the quarter. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems were worth $16,669,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bridges Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 32.9% during the third quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 28,122 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,901,000 after buying an additional 6,960 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $24,314,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,321,000. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Advanced Drainage Systems by 29.7% in the 3rd quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 19,982 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,772,000 after purchasing an additional 4,574 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 47.5% during the second quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 40,651 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $4,669,000 after purchasing an additional 13,097 shares during the last quarter. 89.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Advanced Drainage Systems Price Performance

Advanced Drainage Systems stock opened at $172.79 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.34. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has a 12-month low of $93.92 and a 12-month high of $178.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 4.12 and a quick ratio of 3.08. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $153.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $144.55.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The construction company reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.16. Advanced Drainage Systems had a net margin of 15.75% and a return on equity of 27.72%. The business had revenue of $693.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $686.37 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.09 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will post 6.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.18 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Advanced Drainage Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 11.98%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on WMS shares. UBS Group set a $215.00 target price on Advanced Drainage Systems and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $205.00 target price on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $176.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $187.00 to $198.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $186.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Tim A. Makowski sold 4,901 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.21, for a total value of $731,278.21. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $368,101.07. This represents a 66.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert M. Eversole sold 10,569 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $152.82, for a total value of $1,615,154.58. Following the transaction, the director owned 50,076 shares in the company, valued at $7,652,614.32. This trade represents a 17.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 96,500 shares of company stock worth $14,416,901 in the last three months. Company insiders own 1.63% of the company’s stock.

Advanced Drainage Systems Company 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.