iSAM Funds UK Ltd Purchases New Stake in American States Water (NYSE:AWR)

iSAM Funds UK Ltd bought a new position in shares of American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 7,378 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $573,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American States Water during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its holdings in shares of American States Water by 92.5% during 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 during the period. Plato Investment Management Ltd grew its holdings in shares of American States Water by 2,173.9% during the 4th 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 period. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings 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 worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 393 shares during the period. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in shares of American States Water by 198.9% during the 4th 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. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.24% of the company's stock.

American States Water Stock Up 0.3%

NYSE AWR traded up $0.27 on Friday, reaching $78.50. The company had a trading volume of 166,716 shares, compared to its average volume of 217,189. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.02 billion, a PE ratio of 24.76, 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. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $78.22 and a 200-day moving average of $78.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.76.

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

American States Water Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 19th will be given a $0.4655 dividend. This represents a $1.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.37%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 19th. American States Water's payout ratio is 57.23%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Insider Buying and Selling at American States Water

In related news, Director Diana M. Bonta sold 969 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.00, for a total transaction of $74,613.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 15,931 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,226,687. This represents a 5.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.83% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.