American States Water (NYSE:AWR) Shares Acquired by Quantbot Technologies LP

Quantbot Technologies LP raised its holdings in shares of American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Free Report) by 84.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 9,589 shares of the utilities provider's stock after acquiring an additional 4,385 shares during the quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP's holdings in American States Water were worth $745,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in American States Water during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Plato Investment Management Ltd lifted its position in shares of American States Water by 2,173.9% during the 4th quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd now owns 523 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of American States Water by 367.3% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 500 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 393 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its position in shares of American States Water by 198.9% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 541 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 360 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. raised its stake in American States Water by 56.7% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 948 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $74,000 after acquiring an additional 343 shares in the last quarter. 75.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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American States Water Stock Performance

NYSE:AWR traded up $1.64 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $77.72. 146,773 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 216,437. American States Water has a 1-year low of $66.03 and a 1-year high of $87.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.52, a P/E/G ratio of 12.92 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a 50-day moving average of $75.58 and a 200 day moving average of $79.70.

American States Water (NYSE:AWR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The utilities provider reported $0.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $143.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $160.17 million. American States Water had a net margin of 20.03% and a return on equity of 13.63%. Research analysts anticipate that American States Water will post 3.34 EPS for the current year.

American States Water Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were issued a $0.4655 dividend. This represents a $1.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. American States Water's payout ratio is currently 58.68%.

Insider Transactions at American States Water

In other news, Director Diana M. Bonta sold 969 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.00, for a total transaction of $74,613.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 15,931 shares in the company, valued at $1,226,687. The trade was a 5.73 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.82% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have issued reports on AWR shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of American States Water from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 8th. Wells Fargo & Company cut American States Water from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and decreased their target price for the company from $84.00 to $77.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Bank of America lowered American States Water from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and cut their price target 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.