Buck Wealth Strategies LLC Buys 5,801 Shares of American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR)

Buck Wealth Strategies LLC grew its stake in shares of American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR - Free Report) by 11.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 56,702 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 5,801 shares during the period. Buck Wealth Strategies LLC owned 0.15% of American States Water worth $4,461,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of AWR. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in American States Water during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted 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 purchasing an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd boosted its holdings in 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 during the period. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position 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 purchasing an additional 393 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its holdings in shares of American States Water by 198.9% in 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 during the period. 75.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American States Water Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AWR traded down $1.77 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $77.18. 263,195 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 217,088. American States Water Company has a 52 week low of $70.30 and a 52 week high of $87.50. The company's 50 day moving average price is $78.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $77.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.97 billion, a PE ratio of 23.75, a PEG ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.70. American States Water had a return on equity of 13.45% and a net margin of 20.22%. The business had revenue of $148.01 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $142.00 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.62 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that American States Water Company will post 3.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American States Water Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, May 19th were given a $0.4655 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 19th. This represents a $1.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.41%. American States Water's payout ratio is 57.23%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American States Water news, Director Thomas A. Eichelberger purchased 897 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 6th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $76.81 per share, with a total value of $68,898.57. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 8,467 shares of the company's stock, valued at $650,350.27. The trade was a 11.85% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.83% of the stock is owned by insiders.

American States Water Company 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.