Nuveen Asset Management LLC Decreases Stake in American States Water (NYSE:AWR)

Nuveen Asset Management LLC cut its position in American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Free Report) by 26.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 120,221 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 42,539 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC owned 0.32% of American States Water worth $9,344,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. NorthRock Partners LLC bought a new position in American States Water in the fourth quarter worth approximately $568,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its holdings in American States Water by 16.1% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 329,740 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $25,627,000 after acquiring an additional 45,708 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in American States Water by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 23,312 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,812,000 after acquiring an additional 786 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its holdings in American States Water by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 23,262 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,808,000 after acquiring an additional 1,580 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in American States Water by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 5,670 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $441,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. 75.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American States Water Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of AWR traded down $0.29 on Monday, reaching $78.58. The company's stock had a trading volume of 141,097 shares, compared to its average volume of 216,752. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. American States Water has a twelve month low of $69.46 and a twelve month high of $87.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.03 billion, a PE ratio of 24.79, a PEG ratio of 12.92 and a beta of 0.64. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $78.60 and a 200-day moving average of $77.98.

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

American States Water Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AWR has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded American States Water from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 8th. Bank of America lowered shares of American States Water from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $85.00 to $71.00 in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of American States Water from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $76.00 to $84.00 in a report on Thursday, May 8th.

Insider Buying and Selling at American States Water

In other American States Water news, Director Diana M. Bonta sold 969 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.00, for a total value of $74,613.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 15,931 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,226,687. This trade represents a 5.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.83% of the company's stock.

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.