American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) Given Consensus Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Consensus "Hold": Ten analysts cover American Water Works with a consensus rating of "Hold" (1 sell, 8 hold, 1 buy) and an average 1‑year price target of $140.89; several firms cut targets recently (Wells Fargo to $126, Barclays to $122) while Bank of America upgraded to neutral and raised its target to $139.
• Quarterly miss but upbeat guidance: The company reported $1.24 EPS vs $1.28 expected and $1.27B revenue vs $1.29B, though revenue was up 5.8% YoY and management set FY2026 guidance of $6.02–$6.12 EPS, above the consensus ~5.71 estimate.
• Stock and ownership profile: Shares opened at $136.20 (1‑year range $121.28–$155.50) with a market cap around $26.6B and a P/E of ~23.9, and roughly 86.6% of the stock is held by institutional investors.

American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Hold" by the ten brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have issued a hold recommendation and one has assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $140.8889.

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on American Water Works from $142.00 to $126.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Barclays cut their price objective on American Water Works from $134.00 to $122.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. UBS Group set a $149.00 target price on shares of American Water Works in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of American Water Works from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $117.00 to $139.00 in a report on Monday, January 12th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Water Works

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its position in American Water Works by 71.7% during the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 194 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of American Water Works in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of American Water Works in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of American Water Works by 82.6% during the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Water Works during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. 86.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

American Water Works Stock Down 0.7%

American Water Works stock opened at $136.20 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $26.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.77. American Water Works has a 1-year low of $121.28 and a 1-year high of $155.50. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $132.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $133.36. The company has a current ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The utilities provider reported $1.24 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.28 by ($0.04). American Water Works had a return on equity of 10.38% and a net margin of 21.61%.The business had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.29 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.15 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. American Water Works has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.020-6.120 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that American Water Works will post 5.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About American Water Works

American Water Works Company, Inc NYSE: AWK is a publicly traded utility company that provides water and wastewater services in the United States. Its core business is the operation, management and maintenance of regulated water and wastewater systems that deliver potable water, collect and treat wastewater, and provide related customer services to residential, commercial and industrial customers as well as municipalities. The company's operations include water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, meter reading and billing, emergency repairs, and long-term infrastructure planning and capital project execution.

In addition to its regulated utility operations, American Water offers complementary nonregulated services and solutions that support system reliability and customer needs.

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