B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG Buys New Stake in Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS)

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG purchased a new position in Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 2,556 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $295,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in Advanced Drainage Systems during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $86,185,000. Impax Asset Management Group plc raised its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 650,052 shares in the last quarter. Amundi boosted its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 72.2% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 854,764 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $98,678,000 after acquiring an additional 358,271 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 8.8% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,541,688 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $399,452,000 after purchasing an additional 206,105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV increased its position in Advanced Drainage Systems by 21.2% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 738,749 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $85,399,000 after purchasing an additional 129,252 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.83% of the company’s stock.

Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Performance

Shares of Advanced Drainage Systems stock opened at $100.82 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 3.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $115.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $128.99. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has a 52 week low of $95.39 and a 52 week high of $184.27. The company has a market capitalization of $7.82 billion, a PE ratio of 16.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.48.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The construction company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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, analysts expect that Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will post 6.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a $0.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.63%. Advanced Drainage Systems’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on WMS shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research note on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $134.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group raised Advanced Drainage Systems from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $155.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a research note on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com downgraded Advanced Drainage Systems from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $160.00 to $149.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $160.89.

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.