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

Key Points

• Vontobel Holding Ltd. reduced its American Water Works stake by 3.7%, selling 20,253 shares and retaining 532,774 shares valued at approximately $69.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 86.58% of AWK.
• Analysts maintain a largely neutral outlook, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $137.12. AWK shares recently traded at $135.04, up 1.5%.
• American Water Works exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $1.61 in EPS and $1.35 billion in revenue, while revenue increased 6.2% year over year. The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.895 per share, equivalent to a 2.7% yield.

Vontobel Holding Ltd. cut its stake in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Free Report) by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 532,774 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 20,253 shares during the quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. owned 0.27% of American Water Works worth $69,141,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in American Water Works in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,712,173,000. GQG Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,171,477,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of American Water Works by 35.2% during the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 14,911,963 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,962,116,000 after purchasing an additional 3,883,057 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of American Water Works in the second quarter worth approximately $443,787,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of American Water Works in the second quarter worth approximately $367,632,000. 86.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of American Water Works from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of American Water Works from $138.00 to $147.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of American Water Works from a "strong sell" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Barclays raised their price target on shares of American Water Works from $124.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Bank of America restated a "neutral" rating on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $137.12.

American Water Works Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of AWK traded up $2.00 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $135.04. 1,543,726 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,946,469. The company has a quick ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.40, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.58. The business's 50-day moving average price is $134.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $131.95. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 1 year low of $120.57 and a 1 year high of $145.64.

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

American Water Works Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th were given a $0.8950 dividend. This represents a $3.58 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 11th. American Water Works's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.05%.

American Water Works 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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