Legato Capital Management LLC Sells 19,275 Shares of American States Water (NYSE:AWR)

Legato Capital Management LLC decreased its position in shares of American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Free Report) by 75.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,250 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 19,275 shares during the period. Legato Capital Management LLC's holdings in American States Water were worth $486,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in American States Water during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of American States Water by 367.3% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 500 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 393 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. purchased a new position in American States Water during the third quarter worth $50,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in American States Water by 18,820.0% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 946 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 941 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV boosted its stake in American States Water by 31.9% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,236 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $103,000 after buying an additional 299 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.24% of the company's stock.

American States Water Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of AWR stock traded up $1.17 on Tuesday, hitting $74.76. The stock had a trading volume of 37,714 shares, compared to its average volume of 184,004. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $75.89 and a 200 day moving average price of $80.67. The company has a market cap of $2.80 billion, a PE ratio of 25.15, a P/E/G ratio of 12.59 and a beta of 0.53. American States Water has a one year low of $66.03 and a one year high of $87.50.

American States Water Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a $0.4655 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $1.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.49%. American States Water's payout ratio is currently 62.63%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded American States Water from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $84.00 to $77.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. StockNews.com downgraded American States Water from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Bank of America downgraded American States Water from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $85.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Monday, February 3rd.

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.