Brokerages Set Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) PT at $191.00

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $190.2857.

WMS has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group set a $215.00 price target on Advanced Drainage Systems and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $176.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $195.00 target price (down from $200.00) on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research note on Friday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $205.00 target price on Advanced Drainage Systems in a research note on Friday, February 6th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Advanced Drainage Systems

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WMS. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new stake in Advanced Drainage Systems in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 352.0% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 226 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Advanced Drainage Systems in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. raised its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 1,242.1% in the 3rd quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 255 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 236 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Advanced Drainage Systems in the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.83% of the company’s stock.

Advanced Drainage Systems Price Performance

NYSE WMS traded up $2.34 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $158.00. The stock had a trading volume of 69,388 shares, compared to its average volume of 837,783. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 4.12 and a quick ratio of 3.08. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $151.62 and its 200 day moving average is $149.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.28, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.37. Advanced Drainage Systems has a twelve month low of $101.65 and a twelve month high of $179.32.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The construction company reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $693.35 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $686.37 million. Advanced Drainage Systems had a return on equity of 27.72% and a net margin of 15.75%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.09 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Advanced Drainage Systems will post 6.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.18 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Advanced Drainage Systems’s dividend payout ratio is presently 11.98%.

Advanced Drainage Systems Company Profile

Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc (NYSE: WMS) is a leading manufacturer and supplier of water management solutions in North America. Headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio, the company specializes in the design, production and distribution of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) drainage pipe and related products. Its core business addresses stormwater management, on-site septic systems and erosion control for residential, commercial and infrastructure projects.

The company’s product portfolio includes corrugated plastic pipe, tubing, fittings, geocells, geogrids and stormwater structures such as inlets, manholes and detention/retention systems.