American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) Cut to "Market Perform" at Huntington

Key Points

• Huntington downgraded American Water Works from “outperform” to “market perform.” It forecasts EPS of $6.09 in 2026, $6.58 in 2027, and $7.12 in 2028.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly neutral: MarketBeat’s consensus rating is “Hold,” based on two Buy, six Hold, and one Sell rating, with an average price target of $139.86.
• In its latest reported quarter, American Water Works earned $2.00 per share and generated $1.51 billion in revenue, both below analyst estimates; revenue nevertheless rose 4.1% year over year.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Huntington from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report issued on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. Huntington also issued estimates for American Water Works' Q4 2026 earnings at $1.47 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.09 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.09 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.67 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.27 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.54 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $6.58 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $1.18 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.81 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $2.60 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $7.12 EPS.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on AWK. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of American Water Works from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Monday. UBS Group lowered their price objective on American Water Works from $162.00 to $153.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Truist Financial set a $139.00 price objective on American Water Works in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Barclays dropped their target price on American Water Works from $130.00 to $127.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on American Water Works from $138.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $139.86.

American Water Works Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of American Water Works stock opened at $149.43 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.75 billion, a PE ratio of 25.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.36. The company's fifty day moving average price is $136.16 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $132.67. American Water Works has a 52-week low of $120.57 and a 52-week high of $149.68.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The utilities provider reported $2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.04 by ($0.04). American Water Works had a net margin of 21.26% and a return on equity of 10.14%. The business had revenue of $1.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.94 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that American Water Works will post 6.09 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Water Works

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of American Water Works by 6.6% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,199 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $158,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of American Water Works by 21.1% in the 3rd quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 453 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky increased its position in shares of American Water Works by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 1,233 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $160,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of American Water Works by 20.3% in the 3rd quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 480 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eastern Bank raised its stake in American Water Works by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 2,945 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $381,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. 86.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

American Water Works News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting American Water Works this week:

• Positive Sentiment: West Virginia American Water announced an $850,000 infrastructure project on Old Route 38 in Fayetteville, following a separate $700,000 project in Glen Jean. The investments support ongoing system upgrades, though their direct financial impact is likely limited. West Virginia American Water Announces $850,000 Infrastructure Investment Project on Old Route 38 West Virginia American Water Announces $700,000 Infrastructure Project in Glen Jean
• Positive Sentiment: Huntington Securities forecasts EPS of $6.58 for FY2027 and $7.12 for FY2028, suggesting continued earnings growth. Its FY2026 estimate of $6.09 is in line with the cited consensus, so the forecasts are supportive but not a clear near-term earnings upgrade. American Water Works earnings estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street brokerages collectively rated AWK “Hold,” indicating a broadly cautious or balanced view rather than a strong bullish or bearish consensus. American Water Works Company, Inc. Stock Rated “Hold” by Wall Street Brokerages

American Water Works Company Profile

American Water Works Company, Inc is a public water and wastewater utility that provides essential services to residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers. Through its regulated businesses, the company supplies drinking water, collects and treats wastewater, and manages related infrastructure, including treatment plants, pipelines, storage facilities and customer service systems.

Founded in 1886, American Water has grown into one of the largest water and wastewater service providers in the United States.

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