Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) Reaches New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $101.59 and last traded at $102.14, with a volume of 197707 shares. The stock had previously closed at $109.99.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Loop Capital lowered their target price on Advanced Drainage Systems from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a report on Friday, February 7th. UBS Group raised shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research note on Tuesday. They set a “buy” rating and a $134.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $160.89.

Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average price is $115.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $128.99. The company has a market cap of $7.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a current ratio of 3.21, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The construction company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by ($0.25). Advanced Drainage Systems had a return on equity of 35.79% and a net margin of 15.90%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will post 6.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a dividend of $0.16 per share. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. Advanced Drainage Systems’s dividend payout ratio is 10.70%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Advanced Drainage Systems

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WMS. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,332,268 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $847,610,000 after buying an additional 52,799 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 8.8% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,541,688 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $399,452,000 after purchasing an additional 206,105 shares in the last quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc grew its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 34.6% during the 4th quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 2,530,000 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $291,723,000 after purchasing an additional 650,052 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its stake in Advanced Drainage Systems by 63.2% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 2,064,527 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $238,659,000 after purchasing an additional 799,569 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 45.8% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,732,827 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $200,315,000 after purchasing an additional 544,109 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.83% of the company’s stock.

Advanced Drainage Systems Company Profile

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.