MML Investors Services LLC Grows Holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS)

MML Investors Services LLC increased its stake in Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (NYSE:WMS) by 9.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,607 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 226 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC’s holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems were worth $410,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its position in shares of Advanced Drainage Systems by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 2,271 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $357,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its stake in Advanced Drainage Systems by 18.1% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 555 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $87,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 4.8% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,411 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $379,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in Advanced Drainage Systems by 20.5% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 693 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $109,000 after buying an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Advanced Drainage Systems by 8.8% during the 3rd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,638 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $257,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. 89.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on WMS. Barclays lowered their price target on Advanced Drainage Systems from $194.00 to $172.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 11th. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $192.00 to $184.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 11th. 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 report on Monday, November 11th. KeyCorp cut their target price on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems from $195.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $135.00 target price (down from $170.00) on shares of Advanced Drainage Systems in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $170.29.

Advanced Drainage Systems Price Performance

NYSE WMS opened at $115.54 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $138.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $151.17. The stock has a market cap of $8.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a current ratio of 3.19, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. has a 52 week low of $113.88 and a 52 week high of $184.27.

Advanced Drainage Systems (NYSE:WMS) last posted its earnings results on Friday, November 8th. The construction company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.93 by ($0.23). Advanced Drainage Systems had a net margin of 16.89% and a return on equity of 40.31%. The business had revenue of $782.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $819.41 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.71 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

Advanced Drainage Systems Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 16th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd were issued a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. Advanced Drainage Systems’s payout ratio is currently 10.19%.

About Advanced Drainage Systems

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.