Kessler Investment Group LLC Invests $385,000 in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK)

Kessler Investment Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 2,612 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $385,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in American Water Works in the 4th quarter worth about $936,000. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Water Works in the fourth quarter worth approximately $373,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. New York Life Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of American Water Works by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 29,778 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $3,707,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. boosted its stake in American Water Works by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 75,933 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $9,453,000 after purchasing an additional 1,300 shares during the period. 86.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

American Water Works Stock Up 2.5%

NYSE AWK traded up $3.53 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $142.64. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,395,570 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,228,043. The company has a current ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.82 billion, a PE ratio of 25.98, a PEG ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.71. 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 50-day moving average price of $142.51 and a 200-day moving average price of $136.43.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The utilities provider reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.06 by ($0.01). American Water Works had a net margin of 22.24% and a return on equity of 10.35%. The business had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.95 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 5.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Water Works Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 13th were given a dividend of $0.8275 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 13th. This represents a $3.31 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.32%. This is a boost from American Water Works's previous quarterly dividend of $0.77. American Water Works's dividend payout ratio is presently 60.29%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on AWK shares. UBS Group lowered American Water Works from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on American Water Works from $142.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on 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. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of American Water Works in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. They set an "underweight" rating and a $138.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of American Water Works from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $143.22.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Melissa K. Wikle sold 2,825 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 7,572 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,084,916.16. The trade was a 27.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.11% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

American Water Works Company Profile

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.