American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR) Shares to Pay Quarterly Dividend of $0.55

American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, October 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.5455 per share by the utilities provider on Wednesday, December 2nd. This represents a $2.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th.

American States Water has increased its dividend by an average of 0.1% annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 71 consecutive years. American States Water has a payout ratio of 62.6% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect American States Water to earn $3.80 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.18 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 57.4%.

American States Water Price Performance

AWR stock opened at $84.46 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.98. American States Water has a 52 week low of $69.45 and a 52 week high of $91.72. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $85.35 and its 200 day moving average is $79.94. The firm has a market cap of $3.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.14, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.56.

American States Water (NYSE:AWR) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $181.29 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $171.72 million. American States Water had a net margin of 20.52% and a return on equity of 13.50%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.87 EPS. Research analysts predict that American States Water will post 3.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at American States Water

In other American States Water news, Director Anne Holloway sold 900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.86, for a total value of $79,974.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 38,518 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,422,709.48. This trade represents a 2.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American States Water

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in American States Water in the second quarter worth $26,000. Plato Investment Management Ltd bought a new stake in American States Water in the second quarter valued at $51,000. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in American States Water by 22.7% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 707 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the period. Continuum Advisory LLC purchased a new position in American States Water during the 2nd quarter valued at $61,000. Finally, Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new position in American States Water during the 2nd quarter valued at $63,000. 75.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About American States Water

American States Water Company (NYSE:AWR) is a water and utility services company that provides regulated water and electric services, as well as contracted operations and maintenance services. The company serves residential, commercial, industrial and public-sector customers through its operating subsidiaries.

Through Golden State Water Company, American States Water supplies water to communities primarily in California. Its Bear Valley Electric Service subsidiary provides electric distribution service in the Big Bear area of San Bernardino County, California.