Shares of American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Get Free Report) rose 2.4% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $79.58 and last traded at $79.55. Approximately 53,226 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 75% from the average daily volume of 215,821 shares. The stock had previously closed at $77.69.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several analysts have recently weighed in on AWR shares. StockNews.com raised shares of American States Water from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 8th. Bank of America cut American States Water from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $85.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut American States Water from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and reduced their price target for the company from $84.00 to $77.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 7th.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on American States Water
American States Water Stock Performance
The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.82, a PEG ratio of 12.92 and a beta of 0.47. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $76.00 and a 200-day moving average of $79.63.
American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The utilities provider reported $0.69 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.05. American States Water had a net margin of 20.03% and a return on equity of 13.63%. The business had revenue of $143.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $160.17 million. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that American States Water will post 3.34 EPS for the current year.
American States Water Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were paid a $0.4655 dividend. This represents a $1.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.37%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 18th. American States Water's payout ratio is 58.68%.
Insider Activity
In other American States Water news, Director Diana M. Bonta sold 969 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.00, for a total transaction of $74,613.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 15,931 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,226,687. This trade represents a 5.73 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.82% of the company's stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On American States Water
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AWR. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in shares of American States Water during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in American States Water during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its holdings in American States Water by 92.5% during the 4th quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 439 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd raised its position in shares of American States Water by 2,173.9% in the 4th quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd now owns 523 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of American States Water by 367.3% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 500 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 393 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.24% of the company's stock.
About American States Water
(
Get Free Report)
American States Water Company, through its subsidiaries, provides water and electric services to residential, commercial, industrial, and other customers in the United States. It operates through three segments: Water, Electric, and Contracted Services. The company purchases, produces, distributes, and sells water, as well as distributes electricity.
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