American States Water (NYSE:AWR) Share Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• American States Water shares crossed above their 200-day moving average, reaching $82.81 before closing at $81.73; the stock remains below its 50-day moving average of $86.68.
• The company reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $1.09 beating estimates by $0.16 and revenue rising 11.2% year over year to $181.29 million. Analysts nevertheless maintain an average “Hold” rating.
• American States Water increased its quarterly dividend to $0.5455 per share, equating to an annualized $2.18 payout and a 2.7% yield; institutional investors own approximately 75.24% of the stock.

American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR - Get Free Report)'s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $81.59 and traded as high as $82.81. American States Water shares last traded at $81.73, with a volume of 277,663 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AWR has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised American States Water from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Freedom Capital upgraded American States Water to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold".

American States Water Stock Down 1.3%

The firm's 50 day moving average is $86.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $81.59. The firm has a market cap of $3.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75.

American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $181.29 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $171.72 million. American States Water had a net margin of 20.52% and a return on equity of 13.50%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 11.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.87 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that American States Water Company will post 3.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American States Water Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th were issued a dividend of $0.5455 per share. This is a boost from American States Water's previous quarterly dividend of $0.5040. This represents a $2.18 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 17th. American States Water's dividend payout ratio is presently 59.73%.

Insider Transactions at American States Water

In other American States Water news, Director Anne Holloway sold 900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.86, for a total value of $79,974.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 38,518 shares in the company, valued at $3,422,709.48. This represents a 2.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.90% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American States Water

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AWR. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in American States Water during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $602,749,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in American States Water by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 907,840 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $65,810,000 after buying an additional 2,812 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of American States Water by 2.1% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 836,092 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $63,225,000 after buying an additional 16,896 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of American States Water during the second quarter worth $28,337,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of American States Water during the second quarter worth $18,870,000. Institutional investors own 75.24% of the company's stock.

American States Water Company Profile

American States Water Company NYSE: AWR is a holding company that provides regulated water and electric utility services, as well as water and wastewater operations for military installations. The company serves residential, commercial, industrial, and public-sector customers through its subsidiaries.

Golden State Water Company operates regulated water systems in California, supplying drinking water and related services to communities across the state. Bear Valley Electric Service provides regulated electric distribution service in the mountain communities of California's San Bernardino County.

Through American States Utility Services, Inc, the company operates and maintains water and wastewater systems at U.S.

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