American Water Works Company, Inc. $AWK Shares Sold by Perpetual Ltd

Key Points

• Perpetual Ltd reduced its American Water Works stake by 3.0% during the third quarter, selling 9,877 shares and retaining 320,469 shares valued at approximately $41.5 million. Institutional investors collectively own 86.58% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains mostly neutral: AWK has an average “Hold” rating and a consensus price target of $140.11, with one Buy, eight Hold, and one Sell rating.
• American Water Works exceeded quarterly expectations with $1.61 EPS and $1.35 billion in revenue, while paying a quarterly dividend of $0.895 per share, equivalent to a 2.8% annualized yield.

Perpetual Ltd lowered its holdings in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Free Report) by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 320,469 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 9,877 shares during the quarter. Perpetual Ltd owned approximately 0.16% of American Water Works worth $41,491,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. GK Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in American Water Works in the third quarter worth $81,000. Wedmont Private Capital bought a new stake in American Water Works in the third quarter valued at $447,000. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC bought a new stake in American Water Works in the third quarter valued at $26,478,000. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. increased its position in American Water Works by 66.5% during the 3rd quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 94,758 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $12,268,000 after purchasing an additional 37,858 shares during the period. Finally, Acropolis Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in American Water Works during the 3rd quarter valued at $83,000. 86.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on AWK. Bank of America restated a "neutral" rating on shares of American Water Works in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Barclays upped their target price on American Water Works from $124.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Mizuho increased their target price on American Water Works from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings upgraded American Water Works from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded American Water Works from a "strong sell" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $140.11.

American Water Works Stock Performance

Shares of AWK stock opened at $129.48 on Tuesday. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 12 month low of $120.57 and a 12 month high of $145.64. The stock has a market cap of $25.73 billion, a PE ratio of 22.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The company's fifty day moving average price is $135.06 and its 200-day moving average price is $132.03.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.08. American Water Works had a net margin of 21.35% and a return on equity of 10.20%. The company had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.33 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.48 EPS. American Water Works's quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. American Water Works has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.020-6.120 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 6.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Water Works Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th were issued a $0.8950 dividend. This represents a $3.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 11th. American Water Works's dividend payout ratio is 62.05%.

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 governmental customers in the United States. Through its regulated operations, the company collects, treats, distributes, and manages drinking water, as well as collects and treats wastewater.

The company also provides services through businesses that support utilities, municipalities, military installations, and other public-sector customers.

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