UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Trims Stock Holdings in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK)

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lowered its holdings in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Free Report) by 12.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,374,746 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 324,856 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC owned approximately 1.22% of American Water Works worth $295,632,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AWK. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of American Water Works in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Providence First Trust Co purchased a new position in American Water Works in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new position in American Water Works during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in American Water Works by 54.2% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 293 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Banque Transatlantique SA purchased a new stake in American Water Works during the 4th quarter worth about $46,000. 86.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Water Works Stock Down 0.0%

American Water Works stock traded down $0.02 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $143.59. The company had a trading volume of 230,765 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,215,891. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 1 year low of $118.74 and a 1 year high of $155.50. The business has a fifty day moving average of $144.27 and a 200 day moving average of $135.31. The stock has a market cap of $28.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.63, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.73.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 30th. The utilities provider reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.06 by ($0.01). American Water Works had a net margin of 22.44% and a return on equity of 10.29%. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.09 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.95 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 5.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Water Works Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.8275 per share. This is a positive change from American Water Works's previous quarterly dividend of $0.77. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 13th. This represents a $3.31 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.31%. American Water Works's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 60.29%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays began coverage on American Water Works in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $138.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of American Water Works from $142.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of American Water Works from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of American Water Works from $147.00 to $128.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of American Water Works from $139.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock an "in-line" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $143.22.

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.