Hsbc Holdings PLC Makes New $1.68 Million Investment in American States Water Company $AWR

Key Points

• HSBC Holdings PLC opened a new position in American States Water, buying 23,070 shares valued at about $1.68 million in the fourth quarter.
• Institutional ownership in AWR remains high, with hedge funds and other institutions holding 75.24% of the company’s stock. Several other firms also recently added or increased their stakes.
• American States Water’s recent results were mixed: it beat revenue estimates but missed EPS by $0.01, while analysts currently maintain a Hold consensus rating on the stock.

Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new position in shares of American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 23,070 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,675,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned about 0.06% of American States Water as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of AWR. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in shares of American States Water during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd lifted its holdings in American States Water by 610.5% in the third quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 540 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 464 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in American States Water by 113.6% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 549 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 292 shares in the last quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of American States Water during the 4th quarter worth approximately $45,000. Finally, Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new stake in American States Water in the fourth quarter valued at $45,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.24% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AWR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of American States Water in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of American States Water from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold".

American States Water Stock Performance

American States Water stock opened at $82.69 on Wednesday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $77.76 and its 200 day moving average price is $75.41. American States Water Company has a one year low of $69.45 and a one year high of $83.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.24 billion, a PE ratio of 24.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.60.

American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.77 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $169.19 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $157.02 million. American States Water had a net margin of 19.66% and a return on equity of 13.06%. American States Water's revenue for the quarter was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.70 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that American States Water Company will post 3.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American States Water Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th were paid a $0.504 dividend. This represents a $2.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. American States Water's payout ratio is 58.89%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Anne M. Holloway sold 662 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.58, for a total value of $50,033.96. Following the sale, the director owned 39,418 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,979,212.44. This represents a 1.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Paul J. Rowley sold 1,304 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.05, for a total value of $99,169.20. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 6,520 shares in the company, valued at $495,846. The trade was a 16.67% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

American States Water Company Profile

American States Water Company NYSE: AWR, founded in 1929 and headquartered in San Dimas, California, is a publicly traded utility holding company. The company operates primarily through two regulated segments—water and electric utilities—and provides non-regulated water system services. Over its history, American States Water has expanded its footprint through strategic acquisitions and organic growth, positioning itself as a reliable provider of essential services in its core territories.

Within its regulated water utility segment, American States Water serves more than 250,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers across 35 communities in six counties of California.

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