American States Water (NYSE:AWR) Shares Sold by Centiva Capital LP

Centiva Capital LP trimmed its holdings in shares of American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Free Report) by 62.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,334 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 5,596 shares during the period. Centiva Capital LP's holdings in American States Water were worth $259,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American States Water during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its stake in American States Water by 92.5% in the 4th quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 439 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd raised its holdings in American States Water by 2,173.9% during the fourth quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd now owns 523 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in American States Water by 367.3% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 500 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 393 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in American States Water by 198.9% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 541 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 360 shares in the last quarter. 75.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at American States Water

In related news, Director Diana M. Bonta sold 969 shares of the firm's 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 sale, the director now owns 15,931 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,226,687. This trade represents a 5.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.83% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded American States Water from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and raised their price target for the company from $76.00 to $84.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of American States Water from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 8th. Finally, Bank of America cut shares of American States Water from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and cut their target price for the stock from $85.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Monday, February 3rd.

American States Water Price Performance

NYSE:AWR traded up $1.74 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $79.56. 246,677 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 217,561. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.76. The firm's 50-day moving average is $78.13 and its 200-day moving average is $78.51. The stock has a market cap of $3.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.10, a P/E/G ratio of 12.92 and a beta of 0.64. American States Water has a 1-year low of $69.46 and a 1-year high of $87.50.

American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.70. The business had revenue of $148.01 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $142.00 million. American States Water had a return on equity of 13.63% and a net margin of 20.03%. The business's revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.62 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that American States Water will post 3.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American States Water Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.4655 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 19th. This represents a $1.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.34%. American States Water's dividend payout ratio is currently 57.23%.

American States Water Profile

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.