Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) Upgraded by Stephens to Overweight Rating

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Stephens from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has a $175.00 price objective on the construction company’s stock. Stephens’ price objective points to a potential upside of 26.71% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. KeyCorp cut their price objective on Advanced Drainage Systems from $198.00 to $185.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Barclays lowered their target price on Advanced Drainage Systems from $198.00 to $181.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $168.00 target price on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research report on Friday. UBS Group reduced their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $215.00 to $205.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on Advanced Drainage Systems from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Advanced Drainage Systems currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $187.00.

Advanced Drainage Systems Price Performance

WMS stock opened at $138.11 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $10.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 2.42 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $142.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $150.15. Advanced Drainage Systems has a 1 year low of $105.14 and a 1 year high of $179.32.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The construction company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $676.76 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $651.92 million. Advanced Drainage Systems had a net margin of 13.98% and a return on equity of 26.63%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.03 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Advanced Drainage Systems will post 6.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 352.0% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 226 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 176 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 78.1% during the first quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 244 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. raised its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 1,242.1% during the third quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 255 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 236 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. 89.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.