Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Makes New $410,000 Investment in California Water Service Group (NYSE:CWT)

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new position in California Water Service Group (NYSE:CWT - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 8,451 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $410,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. LPL Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of California Water Service Group by 10.9% in the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 21,540 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $976,000 after buying an additional 2,116 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of California Water Service Group by 91.0% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 308,704 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $13,994,000 after purchasing an additional 147,043 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of California Water Service Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,998,000. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its stake in shares of California Water Service Group by 28.7% during the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 11,886 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $539,000 after purchasing an additional 2,654 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in California Water Service Group by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 60,811 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $2,757,000 after buying an additional 2,553 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.78% of the company's stock.

California Water Service Group Trading Up 1.6%

NYSE:CWT traded up $0.73 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $46.98. The company had a trading volume of 128,418 shares, compared to its average volume of 372,263. California Water Service Group has a 1 year low of $41.64 and a 1 year high of $56.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The company has a 50-day moving average of $45.97 and a 200 day moving average of $46.71. The company has a market cap of $2.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.66.

California Water Service Group (NYSE:CWT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The utilities provider reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.25. California Water Service Group had a return on equity of 8.28% and a net margin of 13.71%. The firm had revenue of $264.95 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $238.20 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.70 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that California Water Service Group will post 3.15 earnings per share for the current year.

California Water Service Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, August 11th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. California Water Service Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 52.40%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CWT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of California Water Service Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of California Water Service Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of California Water Service Group from $59.00 to $55.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 1st.

Insider Transactions at California Water Service Group

In other news, Director Lester A. Snow sold 1,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.51, for a total transaction of $55,812.00. Following the sale, the director owned 26,349 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,225,491.99. This trade represents a 4.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.77% of the company's stock.

About California Water Service Group

California Water Service Group, through its subsidiaries, provides water utility and other related services in California, Washington, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Texas. The company is involved in the production, purchase, storage, treatment, testing, distribution, and sale of water for domestic, industrial, public, and irrigation uses, as well as for fire protection services.