Consolidated Water (NASDAQ:CWCO) Reaches New 52-Week High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. shares reached a new 52-week high of $34.52, up from a previous close of $33.40, indicating strong investor interest.
• Wall Street analysts are optimistic about the company's growth, with target prices raised to $40.00 and a consensus rating of "Buy".
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.14 per share, leading to an annualized yield of 1.6%, reflecting its commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ:CWCO - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $34.52 and last traded at $34.44, with a volume of 44962 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $33.40.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CWCO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Consolidated Water from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. Roth Capital boosted their price target on shares of Consolidated Water from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $40.00.

Consolidated Water Stock Down 1.7%

The firm's 50-day moving average is $31.63 and its 200-day moving average is $28.27. The company has a market cap of $540.35 million, a PE ratio of 20.94 and a beta of 0.57.

Consolidated Water (NASDAQ:CWCO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 11th. The utilities provider reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.20 by $0.12. Consolidated Water had a net margin of 12.24% and a return on equity of 7.77%. The company had revenue of $33.59 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $32.75 million. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. will post 1.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Consolidated Water Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 1st will be issued a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 1st. Consolidated Water's dividend payout ratio is 34.57%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Consolidated Water news, Director Raymond Whittaker sold 4,755 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.35, for a total value of $158,579.25. Following the sale, the director owned 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,350. This represents a 82.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 6.25% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Consolidated Water

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Consolidated Water by 9.5% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 8,650 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $260,000 after buying an additional 752 shares during the last quarter. MRP Capital Investments LLC grew its holdings in shares of Consolidated Water by 6.2% during the second quarter. MRP Capital Investments LLC now owns 16,225 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $487,000 after buying an additional 950 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming grew its holdings in shares of Consolidated Water by 6.0% during the second quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 11,243 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $338,000 after buying an additional 632 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in shares of Consolidated Water by 335.7% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,512 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 1,165 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Consolidated Water by 3,776.7% during the second quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 13,801 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $414,000 after purchasing an additional 13,445 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.16% of the company's stock.

Consolidated Water Company Profile

Consolidated Water Co Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, designs, constructs, manages, and operates water production and water treatment plants primarily in the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, and the United States. The company operates through four segments: Retail, Bulk, Services, and Manufacturing.