American States Water (NYSE:AWR) Shares Break Above 200 Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• American States Water shares broke above their 200-day moving average, reaching $85.66 versus the $82.32 average, and last traded at $85.59.
• The company reported a strong quarter, with EPS of $1.09 surpassing estimates of $0.93 and revenue rising 11.2% year over year to $181.29 million.
• American States Water increased its quarterly dividend to $0.5455, implying an annualized dividend of $2.18 and a 2.5% yield; analysts’ average rating remains Hold.

American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR - Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $82.32 and traded as high as $85.66. American States Water shares last traded at $85.59, with a volume of 215,058 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AWR has been the subject of several recent research reports. Freedom Capital upgraded American States Water to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of American States Water from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold".

American States Water Trading Up 0.6%

The stock has a market capitalization of $3.39 billion, a PE ratio of 23.45, a P/E/G ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.98. The company has a 50 day moving average of $85.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $82.32.

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

American States Water Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, August 17th were given a $0.5455 dividend. This is an increase from American States Water's previous quarterly dividend of $0.5040. This represents a $2.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 17th. American States Water's payout ratio is currently 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 transaction of $79,974.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 38,518 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,422,709.48. This trade represents a 2.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AWR. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in American States Water during the second quarter valued at $602,749,000. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of American States Water by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 836,092 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $63,225,000 after acquiring an additional 16,896 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of American States Water during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,337,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of American States Water during the 2nd quarter valued at about $18,870,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of American States Water by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 188,896 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $14,284,000 after acquiring an additional 3,983 shares during the period. 75.24% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About American States Water

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

Through Golden State Water Company, American States Water supplies water to communities primarily in California. Its Bear Valley Electric Service subsidiary provides electric distribution service in the Big Bear area of San Bernardino County, California.

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