American States Water (NYSE:AWR) Shares Sold by Graham Capital Management L.P.

Graham Capital Management L.P. trimmed its position in shares of American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Free Report) by 58.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 9,849 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 13,830 shares during the quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P.'s holdings in American States Water were worth $765,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AWR. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of American States Water in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 211 shares in the last quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd boosted its position 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 buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in American States Water by 367.3% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 500 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 393 shares during the period. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake 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 acquiring an additional 360 shares in the last quarter. 75.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American States Water Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:AWR traded down $0.23 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $80.00. The stock had a trading volume of 14,471 shares, compared to its average volume of 226,627. American States Water has a 1 year low of $69.46 and a 1 year high of $87.50. The firm's 50 day moving average is $78.17 and its 200-day moving average is $78.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.23, a P/E/G ratio of 12.92 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.82.

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

American States Water Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 19th will be given a dividend of $0.4655 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 19th. This represents a $1.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.33%. American States Water's dividend payout ratio is currently 57.23%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Diana M. Bonta sold 969 shares of the business'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 completion of the sale, the director now owns 15,931 shares in the company, valued at $1,226,687. The trade was a 5.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.83% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded American States Water from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $76.00 to $84.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Bank of America lowered American States Water from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and reduced their price target for the company from $85.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com raised American States Water from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 8th.

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.