Amundi Raises Holdings in American Water Works Company, Inc. $AWK

Key Points

• Amundi increased its American Water Works stake by 4.3% in the first quarter, adding 179,127 shares to hold 4.35 million shares worth approximately $592.1 million, or 2.23% of AWK. Institutional investors collectively own 86.58% of the company.
• American Water Works beat second-quarter expectations with adjusted EPS of $1.61 and revenue of about $1.35 billion, up 6.2% year over year. Management reaffirmed its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $6.02–$6.12 and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.895, yielding roughly 2.6%.
• The proposed Essential Utilities merger continues to progress, with approvals in three states and a Texas settlement in principle, though additional regulatory approvals remain outstanding. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $140.60.

Amundi boosted its holdings in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Free Report) by 4.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,351,056 shares of the utilities provider's stock after acquiring an additional 179,127 shares during the quarter. Amundi owned about 2.23% of American Water Works worth $592,081,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its stake in American Water Works by 71.7% during the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 194 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of American Water Works in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of American Water Works by 82.6% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Water Works in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new position in shares of American Water Works during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.58% of the company's stock.

American Water Works News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting American Water Works this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter results exceeded expectations. AWK reported GAAP and adjusted earnings of $1.61 per share, up from $1.48 a year ago and ahead of analyst estimates ranging from $1.53 to $1.59. Revenue increased 6.2% year over year to approximately $1.35 billion, also surpassing expectations. American Water Works Q2 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Growth initiatives and regulatory progress support the outlook. The company said its $3.7 billion capital investment plan remains on track, added roughly 52,000 customer connections through acquisitions, and secured important regulatory progress, including new Pennsylvania rates scheduled to take effect August 13, 2026. American Water Reports Solid Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The proposed Essential Utilities merger continues to advance. Three states have approved the transaction, a settlement in principle has been reached in Texas, and integration planning is progressing. Completion could expand AWK’s customer base and create longer-term strategic benefits, although regulatory approvals remain outstanding. American Water Reports Solid Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: 2026 earnings guidance was reaffirmed. AWK maintained its $6.02-$6.12 adjusted EPS target, broadly consistent with the roughly $6.08 analyst consensus. The lack of an increase may limit the immediate upside from the earnings beat, but it confirms management’s existing growth targets.
• Neutral Sentiment: The board declared a $0.895 quarterly dividend. The payment is scheduled for September 1, 2026, for shareholders of record August 11, with an indicated yield of about 2.6%. The dividend supports AWK’s appeal as a defensive income investment, though no increase was announced. American Water Announces Quarterly Dividend

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on AWK shares. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of American Water Works from $124.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Wall Street Zen cut American Water Works from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Sunday. Wells Fargo & Company set a $131.00 price target on American Water Works in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Bank of America reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of American Water Works in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of American Water Works in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $140.60.

American Water Works Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of American Water Works stock opened at $137.99 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 52-week low of $120.57 and a 52-week high of $147.87. The company has a market capitalization of $26.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a 50 day moving average of $129.09 and a 200 day moving average of $130.95.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.08. American Water Works had a net margin of 21.17% and a return on equity of 10.20%. The company had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.33 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.48 EPS. The company'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. As a group, research analysts forecast 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be issued a $0.895 dividend. This represents a $3.58 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. American Water Works's dividend payout ratio is 63.48%.

American Water Works Company Profile

American Water Works Company, Inc NYSE: AWK is a publicly traded utility company that provides water and wastewater services in the United States. Its core business is the operation, management and maintenance of regulated water and wastewater systems that deliver potable water, collect and treat wastewater, and provide related customer services to residential, commercial and industrial customers as well as municipalities. The company's operations include water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, meter reading and billing, emergency repairs, and long-term infrastructure planning and capital project execution.

In addition to its regulated utility operations, American Water offers complementary nonregulated services and solutions that support system reliability and customer needs.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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