Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. Buys 123,282 Shares of Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. $WMS

Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. increased its stake in Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) by 161.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 199,858 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 123,282 shares during the quarter. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V.’s holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems were worth $28,945,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC increased its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC now owns 16,007 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,318,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 24.4% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 377 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 4,599 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $638,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. Intrust Bank NA increased its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 4.7% during the 4th quarter. Intrust Bank NA now owns 2,559 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $371,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Finally, Norden Group LLC increased its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Norden Group LLC now owns 2,986 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $432,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 89.83% of the company’s stock.

Advanced Drainage Systems Stock Down 0.3%

WMS stock opened at $134.66 on Friday. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $109.63 and a fifty-two week high of $179.32. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $141.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $149.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 2.42. The company has a market capitalization of $10.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.29.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The construction company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.12. Advanced Drainage Systems had a return on equity of 26.63% and a net margin of 13.98%.The firm had revenue of $676.76 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $651.92 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.03 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will post 6.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Advanced Drainage Systems’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. Advanced Drainage Systems’s payout ratio is presently 14.71%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on WMS shares. Stephens upgraded Advanced Drainage Systems from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $190.00 to $175.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $168.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. UBS Group reduced their target price on Advanced Drainage Systems from $215.00 to $205.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Advanced Drainage Systems in a report on Thursday. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a report on Monday, April 20th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Advanced Drainage Systems presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $185.75.

About Advanced Drainage Systems

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.