Mechanics Bank Trust Department Acquires Shares of 1,875 American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK)

Mechanics Bank Trust Department purchased a new stake in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 1,875 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $277,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AWK. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of American Water Works during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Providence First Trust Co purchased a new position in American Water Works in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Water Works during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in American Water Works during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in American Water Works by 54.2% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 293 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.58% of the company's stock.

American Water Works Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:AWK traded down $0.54 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $141.88. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,097,091 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,220,897. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $144.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $135.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.35. The company has a market capitalization of $27.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.73. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 52 week low of $118.74 and a 52 week high of $155.50.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The utilities provider reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.06 by ($0.01). American Water Works had a return on equity of 10.29% and a net margin of 22.44%. 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 business earned $0.95 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 5.71 EPS for the current year.

American Water Works Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 13th will be given a dividend of $0.8275 per share. This represents a $3.31 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.33%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 13th. This is a positive change from American Water Works's previous quarterly dividend of $0.77. American Water Works's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 60.29%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Melissa K. Wikle sold 2,825 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.28, for a total value of $404,766.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 7,572 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,084,916.16. This represents a 27.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.11% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on AWK shares. Evercore ISI raised their price target on American Water Works from $139.00 to $148.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on American Water Works from $142.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. UBS Group lowered American Water Works from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Wall Street Zen cut American Water Works from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price 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.