Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Acquires Shares of 27,354 American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR)

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 27,354 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,152,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned about 0.07% of American States Water as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AWR. Arizona State Retirement System increased its stake in American States Water by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 10,871 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $845,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in shares of American States Water by 15.0% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,262 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $91,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System increased its position in shares of American States Water by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 18,300 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,422,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in American States Water by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 3,900 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $303,000 after acquiring an additional 201 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. raised 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 worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. 75.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American States Water Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AWR traded up $0.01 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $77.96. The company's stock had a trading volume of 175,054 shares, compared to its average volume of 219,352. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $78.83 and a 200 day moving average of $77.41. American States Water Company has a twelve month low of $70.29 and a twelve month high of $87.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.00 billion, a PE ratio of 24.01, a P/E/G ratio of 4.21 and a beta of 0.62.

American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.70. The company 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 13.45% and a net margin of 20.22%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.62 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that American States Water Company will post 3.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American States Water Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, May 19th were given a dividend of $0.4655 per share. This represents a $1.86 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.39%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 19th. American States Water's dividend payout ratio is currently 57.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American States Water

In other news, Director Thomas A. Eichelberger purchased 897 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 6th. The shares were bought at an average price of $76.81 per share, for a total transaction of $68,898.57. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 8,467 shares in the company, valued at $650,350.27. This represents a 11.85% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.83% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded American States Water from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 8th. Wells Fargo & Company raised American States Water from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $76.00 to $84.00 in a report on Thursday, May 8th.

About American States Water

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.