Maryland State Retirement & Pension System Buys 267 Shares of American States Water (NYSE:AWR)

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its position in American States Water (NYSE:AWR) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 44,570 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 267 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System’s holdings in American States Water were worth $3,584,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of American States Water during the third quarter valued at approximately $224,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its stake in shares of American States Water by 69.3% in the third quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 17,000 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,338,000 after buying an additional 6,959 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of American States Water by 3.3% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 356,543 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $28,053,000 after buying an additional 11,236 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG increased its position in shares of American States Water by 23.3% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 74,115 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $5,831,000 after acquiring an additional 14,024 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alps Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of American States Water by 57.1% during the third quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 5,729 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $451,000 after acquiring an additional 2,082 shares in the last quarter. 75.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American States Water Stock Up 0.2 %

NYSE AWR traded up $0.17 on Tuesday, reaching $74.22. The company had a trading volume of 165,546 shares, compared to its average volume of 229,115. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. The company’s fifty day moving average is $70.80 and its 200 day moving average is $75.89. American States Water has a 52-week low of $66.03 and a 52-week high of $92.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.97, a P/E/G ratio of 3.88 and a beta of 0.43.

American States Water (NYSE:AWR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 22nd. The utilities provider reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.53 by $0.02. American States Water had a net margin of 20.97% and a return on equity of 13.54%. The firm had revenue of $125.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $132.00 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.42 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that American States Water will post 3.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American States Water Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 20th will be given a $0.43 dividend. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.32%. American States Water’s dividend payout ratio is currently 51.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American States Water

In other American States Water news, Director Thomas A. Eichelberger bought 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 28th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $71.21 per share, for a total transaction of $99,694.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 5,850 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $416,578.50. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.82% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on American States Water from $79.00 to $77.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 23rd.

American States Water Company Profile

American States Water Company, through its subsidiaries, provides water and electric services to residential, commercial, industrial, and other customers in the United States. It operates through three segments: Water, Electric, and Contracted Services. The company purchases, produces, distributes, and sells water, as well as distributes electricity.