California Water Service Group (NYSE:CWT) Shares Purchased by SG Americas Securities LLC

SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in California Water Service Group (NYSE:CWT - Free Report) by 205.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 31,205 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 20,991 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC owned approximately 0.05% of California Water Service Group worth $1,415,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in California Water Service Group by 255.6% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 505 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 363 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of California Water Service Group by 50.2% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,236 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $67,000 after buying an additional 413 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of California Water Service Group during the second quarter worth about $85,000. nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of California Water Service Group during the third quarter worth about $119,000. Finally, CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of California Water Service Group by 129.1% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,090 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $168,000 after buying an additional 1,741 shares during the last quarter. 82.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

California Water Service Group Price Performance

Shares of CWT traded up $0.67 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $45.47. The company's stock had a trading volume of 439,033 shares, compared to its average volume of 350,617. The company has a current ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. California Water Service Group has a 1-year low of $41.64 and a 1-year high of $56.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.14, a P/E/G ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 0.52. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $46.37 and a 200 day simple moving average of $50.70.

California Water Service Group (NYSE:CWT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The utilities provider reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.05 by ($0.02). California Water Service Group had a net margin of 19.56% and a return on equity of 13.24%. The business had revenue of $299.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $289.55 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.60 EPS. California Water Service Group's revenue was up 17.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that California Water Service Group will post 3.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

California Water Service Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. This is a positive change from California Water Service Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. California Water Service Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 32.37%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CWT has been the subject of several analyst reports. StockNews.com raised California Water Service Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded California Water Service Group from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $56.00 to $52.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of California Water Service Group in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $57.00 price objective on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $53.25.

Insider Buying and Selling at California Water Service Group

In related news, VP Michael B. Luu sold 985 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.50, for a total value of $50,727.50. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 20,354 shares in the company, valued at $1,048,231. This represents a 4.62 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.73% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

California Water Service Group Profile

California Water Service Group, through its subsidiaries, provides water utility and other related services in California, Washington, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Texas. The company is involved in the production, purchase, storage, treatment, testing, distribution, and sale of water for domestic, industrial, public, and irrigation uses, as well as for fire protection services.