Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) Stock Holdings Decreased by J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG

J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG lowered its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS - Free Report) by 32.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 95,821 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 45,068 shares during the quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG owned approximately 0.12% of Advanced Drainage Systems worth $11,077,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 50.4% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 96,764 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $11,186,000 after purchasing an additional 32,418 shares during the period. KBC Group NV grew its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 21.2% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 738,749 shares of the construction company's stock worth $85,399,000 after purchasing an additional 129,252 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 593,562 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $68,616,000 after purchasing an additional 31,510 shares during the period. D.B. Root & Company LLC increased its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 64.9% during the fourth quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC now owns 5,658 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $654,000 after purchasing an additional 2,227 shares during the period. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 14.0% during the fourth quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 163,910 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $18,948,000 after purchasing an additional 20,146 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.83% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on WMS shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. KeyCorp decreased their target price on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $180.00 to $135.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $155.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $134.00 target price for the company. Finally, Stephens reiterated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research report on Friday, February 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $153.78.

Advanced Drainage Systems Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WMS traded up $0.48 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $111.61. 555,126 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 576,405. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has a 52 week low of $93.92 and a 52 week high of $184.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a current ratio of 3.21. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $108.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $122.92. The company has a market cap of $8.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.48.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The construction company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.34 by ($0.25). Advanced Drainage Systems had a net margin of 15.90% and a return on equity of 35.79%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will post 6.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th were given a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. Advanced Drainage Systems's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.70%.

About Advanced Drainage Systems

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc designs, manufactures, and markets thermoplastic corrugated pipes and related water management products in North America and internationally. The company operates through Pipe, International, Infiltrator, and Allied Products & Other segments. It offers single, double, and triple wall corrugated polypropylene and polyethylene pipes; plastic leachfield chambers and systems; EZflow synthetic aggregate bundles; wastewater purification through mechanical aeration wastewater for residential and commercial systems; septic tanks and accessories; combined treatment and dispersal systems, including advanced enviro-septic and advanced treatment leachfield systems; and allied products, including storm retention/detention and septic chambers, polyvinyl chloride drainage structures, fittings, and water quality filters and separators.