Trillium Asset Management LLC Sells 10,396 Shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK)

Key Points

• Trillium Asset Management LLC has reduced its holdings in American Water Works Company by 3.2%, now owning 314,084 shares, which represents 1.3% of their investment portfolio.
• Insider selling occurred when CAO Melissa K. Wikle sold 2,825 shares for approximately $404,766, reducing her ownership by 27.17%.
• Equities analysts have mixed views on the stock, with ratings ranging from "sell" to "buy," and a consensus target price of $142.00.

Trillium Asset Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Free Report) by 3.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 314,084 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 10,396 shares during the period. American Water Works accounts for 1.3% of Trillium Asset Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Trillium Asset Management LLC owned 0.16% of American Water Works worth $46,333,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Banque Transatlantique SA acquired a new stake in shares of American Water Works in the 4th quarter valued at $46,000. Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Water Works in the 1st quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, Colonial Trust Co SC lifted its stake in shares of American Water Works by 78.3% in the 4th quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 410 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. 86.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other American Water Works news, CAO Melissa K. Wikle sold 2,825 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,084,916.16. This represents a 27.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.11% of the company's stock.

American Water Works Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE AWK traded up $0.38 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $143.79. The company's stock had a trading volume of 923,760 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,674,240. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $141.71 and a 200 day moving average of $140.41. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a twelve month low of $118.74 and a twelve month high of $155.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.91, a PEG ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The utilities provider reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.53 by ($0.05). American Water Works had a net margin of 21.91% and a return on equity of 10.34%. 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 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 5.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Water Works Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on AWK shares. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of American Water Works from $156.00 to $151.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of American Water Works from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of American Water Works from $138.00 to $128.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of American Water Works from $139.00 to $148.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of American Water Works from $148.00 to $149.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $143.30.

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.