Plato Investment Management Ltd Makes New Investment in American Water Works Company, Inc. $AWK

Key Points

• Plato Investment Management acquired 30,129 shares of American Water Works in the second quarter, valued at approximately $3.94 million. Institutional investors collectively own 86.58% of AWK.
• American Water Works exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $1.61 EPS and $1.35 billion in revenue, with revenue rising 6.2% year over year. The company guided for fiscal 2026 EPS of $6.02–$6.12.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.895 per share, equivalent to an annualized $3.58 payout and a 2.6% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with a $138.78 price target.

Plato Investment Management Ltd acquired a new stake in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 30,129 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $3,941,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of American Water Works by 3,274.6% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,092,757 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $925,605,000 after acquiring an additional 6,882,575 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of American Water Works in the 4th quarter worth about $337,004,000. GQG Partners LLC boosted its position in American Water Works by 64.2% during the 4th quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 6,493,161 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $847,361,000 after purchasing an additional 2,539,683 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in American Water Works by 383.0% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 2,596,125 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $361,355,000 after purchasing an additional 2,058,656 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of American Water Works in the second quarter worth $137,745,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.58% of the company's stock.

American Water Works Stock Up 0.0%

AWK stock opened at $136.25 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.49. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $120.57 and a fifty-two week high of $147.87. The business has a 50-day moving average of $131.81 and a 200-day moving average of $131.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.60.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.08. American Water Works had a net margin of 21.35% and a return on equity of 10.20%. The business had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.33 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.48 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. American Water Works has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.020-6.120 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 6.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Water Works Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be given a dividend of $0.895 per share. This represents a $3.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 11th. American Water Works's dividend payout ratio is currently 62.05%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on AWK shares. Wells Fargo & Company set a $131.00 price target on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on American Water Works from $138.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Wall Street Zen raised American Water Works from a "strong sell" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Truist Financial set a $139.00 price objective on American Water Works in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of American Water Works in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $138.78.

American Water Works 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.

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