Erste Asset Management GmbH Decreases Stake in American Water Works Company, Inc. $AWK

Key Points

• Erste Asset Management GmbH has decreased its holdings in American Water Works by 11.2%, now owning 58,398 shares valued at $8,545,000.
• Several institutional investors increased their positions in American Water Works, with PFG Advisors growing by 33.4% and Farther Finance Advisors by 45.2% in the first quarter.
• American Water Works announced a quarterly dividend of $0.8275 per share, representing a dividend yield of 2.3%, with a payout ratio of 59.64%.

Erste Asset Management GmbH lowered its position in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Free Report) by 11.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 58,398 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 7,385 shares during the quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH's holdings in American Water Works were worth $8,545,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. boosted its position in American Water Works by 1.5% during the first quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 4,679 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $690,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Sargent Investment Group LLC boosted its position in American Water Works by 2.6% during the first quarter. Sargent Investment Group LLC now owns 2,795 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $412,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in American Water Works by 4.8% during the first quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,607 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $237,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Water Works by 5.0% during the first quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,726 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $255,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of American Water Works by 1.4% during the first quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 6,157 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $908,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.58% of the company's stock.

American Water Works Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of AWK traded up $0.0880 on Friday, reaching $145.9580. The company's stock had a trading volume of 963,948 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,632,087. The company has a current ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a twelve month low of $118.74 and a twelve month high of $155.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.48 billion, a PE ratio of 26.30, a PEG ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 0.65. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $142.14 and a 200-day moving average of $141.24.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The utilities provider reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.53 by ($0.05). American Water Works had a return on equity of 10.34% and a net margin of 21.91%.The business had revenue of $1.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.42 EPS. The company's revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. American Water Works has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.700-5.750 EPS. Equities analysts predict that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 5.71 EPS for the current year.

American Water Works Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 12th will be issued a $0.8275 dividend. This represents a $3.31 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 12th. American Water Works's dividend payout ratio is currently 59.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on AWK. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of American Water Works from $148.00 to $149.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, August 1st. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of American Water Works from $138.00 to $128.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of American Water Works from $139.00 to $148.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of American Water Works from $156.00 to $151.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of American Water Works from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $143.30.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other American Water Works news, CAO Melissa K. Wikle sold 2,825 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.28, for a total value of $404,766.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 7,572 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,084,916.16. This trade represents a 27.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.11% of the company's stock.

About American Water Works

American Water Works Company, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides water and wastewater services in the United States. It offers water and wastewater services to approximately 1,700 communities in 14 states serving approximately 3.5 million active customers. The company serves residential customers; commercial customers, including food and beverage providers, commercial property developers and proprietors, and energy suppliers; fire service and private fire customers; industrial customers, such as large-scale manufacturers, mining, and production operations; public authorities comprising government buildings and other public sector facilities, such as schools and universities; and other utilities and community water and wastewater systems.