HM Payson & Co. Reduces Holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS)

HM Payson & Co. lowered its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) by 44.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,485 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 2,800 shares during the period. HM Payson & Co.’s holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems were worth $403,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Huntington National Bank raised its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 123.1% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 386 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares during the period. Millburn Ridgefield Corp raised its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 642.4% during the third quarter. Millburn Ridgefield Corp now owns 490 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $77,000 after purchasing an additional 424 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 12.7% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 781 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $90,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the period. Spire Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $94,000. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 18.3% during the fourth quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 884 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $102,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.83% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on WMS shares. Loop Capital dropped their price objective on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note 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 target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. StockNews.com raised shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $174.00 to $161.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Advanced Drainage Systems currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $164.25.

Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Performance

Advanced Drainage Systems stock opened at $114.96 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $8.92 billion, a PE ratio of 19.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $119.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $134.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 3.21 and a quick ratio of 1.98. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has a 12 month low of $101.90 and a 12 month high of $184.27.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The construction company reported $1.09 EPS 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%. Research analysts expect that Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will post 6.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Advanced Drainage Systems’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.70%.

Advanced Drainage Systems 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.