NorthRock Partners LLC Makes New Investment in American States Water (NYSE:AWR)

NorthRock Partners LLC acquired a new stake in American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 7,314 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $568,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of AWR. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of American States Water in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position 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 purchasing an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in American States Water by 367.3% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 500 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 393 shares during the period. Plato Investment Management Ltd increased its stake in American States Water by 2,173.9% in the fourth quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd now owns 523 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its holdings 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 valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 360 shares during the last quarter. 75.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American States Water Stock Performance

NYSE:AWR traded down $0.19 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $78.24. The stock had a trading volume of 27,979 shares, compared to its average volume of 216,288. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. The stock has a market cap of $3.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.62, a P/E/G ratio of 12.92 and a beta of 0.64. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $78.18 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $78.43. American States Water has a 12-month low of $69.46 and a 12-month high of $87.50.

American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.70. American States Water had a net margin of 20.03% and a return on equity of 13.63%. The company had revenue of $148.01 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $142.00 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.62 EPS. The business's revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that American States Water will post 3.34 EPS for the current year.

American States Water Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, May 19th will be given a $0.4655 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 19th. This represents a $1.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.38%. American States Water's payout ratio is currently 57.23%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American States Water

In other news, Director Diana M. Bonta sold 969 shares of the 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 transaction, 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.83% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on AWR shares. Bank of America lowered American States Water from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $85.00 to $71.00 in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen raised American States Water from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded American States Water from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $76.00 to $84.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 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.