Strs Ohio Sells 2,500 Shares of American States Water (NYSE:AWR)

Strs Ohio lessened its holdings in shares of American States Water (NYSE:AWR) by 21.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 8,900 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 2,500 shares during the period. Strs Ohio’s holdings in American States Water were worth $715,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Column Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of American States Water during the third quarter valued at $35,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of American States Water during the fourth quarter valued at $48,000. Adirondack Trust Co. acquired a new position in shares of American States Water during the third quarter valued at $79,000. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in shares of American States Water by 370.5% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,181 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $95,000 after acquiring an additional 930 shares during the period. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc lifted its stake in shares of American States Water by 153.3% during the fourth quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 1,216 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $98,000 after acquiring an additional 736 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.24% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other American States Water news, Director Thomas A. Eichelberger bought 1,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 28th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $71.21 per share, with a total value of $99,694.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 5,850 shares in the company, valued at $416,578.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.82% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

American States Water Price Performance

Shares of AWR opened at $70.31 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. The stock has a market cap of $2.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.73 and a beta of 0.43. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $71.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $76.29. American States Water has a 1 year low of $66.03 and a 1 year high of $92.85.

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

American States Water Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 20th were given a $0.43 dividend. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.45%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 16th. American States Water’s dividend payout ratio is currently 51.04%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

About American States Water

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.