Should I buy or sell American Water Works stock right now?

2 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for American Water Works in the last twelve months. There are currently 2 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "buy" AWK shares. View AWK analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks .

What is American Water Works' stock price target for 2024?

2 analysts have issued 1-year price objectives for American Water Works' shares. Their AWK share price targets range from $126.00 to $169.00. On average, they anticipate the company's share price to reach $146.60 in the next twelve months. This suggests a possible upside of 11.7% from the stock's current price. View analysts price targets for AWK or view top-rated stocks among Wall Street analysts .

How have AWK shares performed in 2023?

American Water Works' stock was trading at $152.42 at the start of the year. Since then, AWK shares have decreased by 13.9% and is now trading at $131.21. View the best growth stocks for 2023 here .

Are investors shorting American Water Works?

American Water Works saw a decline in short interest in the month of October. As of October 31st, there was short interest totaling 2,530,000 shares, a decline of 10.6% from the October 15th total of 2,830,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,150,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.2 days. View American Water Works' Short Interest .

When is American Water Works' next earnings date?

The company is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings announcement on Wednesday, February 21st 2024. View our AWK earnings forecast .

How were American Water Works' earnings last quarter?

American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) posted its earnings results on Thursday, November, 2nd. The utilities provider reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.11. The utilities provider had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.14 billion. American Water Works had a net margin of 22.26% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 9.99%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.63 earnings per share. Read the conference call transcript .

How often does American Water Works pay dividends? What is the dividend yield for American Water Works?

American Water Works declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 14th will be given a dividend of $0.7075 per share on Friday, December 1st. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.16%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 13th. Read our dividend analysis for AWK .

Is American Water Works a good dividend stock?

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) pays an annual dividend of $2.83 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 2.17%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 16 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 58.71%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, AWK will have a dividend payout ratio of 54.95% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for AWK .

What ETFs hold American Water Works' stock?

ETFs with the largest weight of American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) stock in their portfolio include Invesco S&P Global Water Index ETF (CGW) , Invesco Water Resources ETF (PHO) , Global X Clean Water ETF (AQWA) , Ecofin Global Water ESG Fund (EBLU) , iShares MSCI Water Management Multisector ETF (IWTR) , iShares Environmental Infrastructure and Industrials ETF (EFRA) , Invesco Global Water ETF (PIO) and First Trust Water ETF (FIW) .

What guidance has American Water Works issued on next quarter's earnings?

American Water Works updated its FY24 earnings guidance on Wednesday, November, 1st. The company provided EPS guidance of $5.10-5.20 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $5.14.

What is Walter Lynch's approval rating as American Water Works' CEO?

9 employees have rated American Water Works Chief Executive Officer Walter Lynch on Glassdoor.com . Walter Lynch has an approval rating of 37% among the company's employees. This puts Walter Lynch in the bottom 10% of approval ratings compared to other CEOs of publicly-traded companies.

What other stocks do shareholders of American Water Works own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some companies that other American Water Works investors own include Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) , AT&T (T) , Alibaba Group (BABA) , Home Depot (HD) , NVIDIA (NVDA) , Visa (V) , Walmart (WMT) , AbbVie (ABBV) , Bank of America (BAC) and Cisco Systems (CSCO) .

Who are American Water Works' major shareholders?

American Water Works' stock is owned by a number of institutional and retail investors. Top institutional investors include Impax Asset Management Group plc (2.89%), Royal Bank of Canada (2.58%), Deutsche Bank AG (1.89%), Deutsche Bank AG (1.89%), Northern Trust Corp (1.84%) and Legal & General Group Plc (1.53%). Insiders that own company stock include Cheryl Norton , Martha Clark Goss , Maureen Duffy , Melanie M Kennedy, Melanie M Kennedy , Melissa K Wikle , Michael Marberry and Walter Lynch . View institutional ownership trends .

How do I buy shares of American Water Works?

Shares of AWK stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include WeBull , Vanguard Brokerage Services, TD Ameritrade, E*TRADE, Robinhood, Fidelity, and Charles Schwab. Compare Top Brokerages Here .

American Water Works Stock Price, News & Analysis (NYSE:AWK)

$131.10

-0.12 (-0.09%)

(As of 09:45 AM ET)

Compare

Today's Range: $131.07
▼
$131.94
50-Day Range: $115.50
▼
$133.54
52-Week Range: $114.25
▼
$162.59

Volume: 47,357 shs
Average Volume: 1.07 million shs
Market Capitalization: $25.53 billion

P/E Ratio: 27.20
Dividend Yield: 2.16%
Price Target: $146.60

American Water Works MarketRank™ Stock Analysis

Analyst Rating: Buy
3.00 Rating Score
Upside/Downside: 11.7% Upside
$146.60 Price Target
Short Interest: Healthy
1.32% of Shares Sold Short
Dividend Strength: Strong
Based on Four Factors
Sustainability: +1.99
Upright™ Environmental Score
News Sentiment: 1.20
Based on 8 Articles This Week
Insider Trading: Acquiring Shares
$492,937 Bought Last Quarter
Proj. Earnings Growth: 7.07%
From $4.81 to $5.15 Per Share

Overall MarketRank^™

MarketRank is calculated as an average of available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

3.02 out of 5 stars

Utilities Sector

5th out of 85 stocks

Water Supply Industry

2nd out of 11 stocks

2.5

Analyst's Opinion

Consensus Rating
American Water Works has received a consensus rating of Buy. The company's average rating score is 3.00, and is based on 2 buy ratings, no hold ratings, and no sell ratings.
Price Target Upside/Downside
According to analysts' consensus price target of $146.60, American Water Works has a forecasted upside of 11.7% from its current price of $131.21.
Amount of Analyst Coverage
American Water Works has only been the subject of 2 research reports in the past 90 days.

3.0

Short Interest

Percentage of Shares Shorted
1.32% of the outstanding shares of American Water Works have been sold short.
Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover
American Water Works has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 2.2, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.
Change versus previous month
Short interest in American Water Works has recently increased by 1.58%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing.

4.2

Dividend Strength

Dividend Yield
American Water Works pays a meaningful dividend of 2.17%, higher than the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.
Dividend Growth
American Water Works has been increasing its dividend for 16 years.
Dividend Coverage
The dividend payout ratio of American Water Works is 58.71%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.
Dividend Sustainability
Based on earnings estimates, American Water Works will have a dividend payout ratio of 54.95% next year. This indicates that American Water Works will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

4.3

Sustainability and ESG

Overall ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Score
American Water Works has received a 64.32% net impact score from Upright. The largest positive contribution comes from its "Scarce natural resources" impact, which is mostly driven by its "Drinking water distribution services", "Drinking water treatment services", and "Wastewater treatment services" products. See details.
Environmental Sustainability
The Environmental Impact score for American Water Works is 1.99.

2.9

News and Social Media Coverage

News Sentiment
American Water Works has a news sentiment score of 1.20. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a higher news sentiment than the 0.44 average news sentiment score of Utilities companies.
News Coverage This Week
MarketBeat has tracked 8 news articles for American Water Works this week, compared to 9 articles on an average week.
Search Interest
12 people have searched for AWK on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 9% compared to the previous 30 days.
MarketBeat Follows
Only 88 people have added American Water Works to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is a decrease of -23% compared to the previous 30 days.

3.3

Company Ownership

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling
In the past three months, American Water Works insiders have bought more of their company's stock than they have sold. Specifically, they have bought $492,937.00 in company stock and sold $0.00 in company stock.
Percentage Held by Insiders
Only 0.08% of the stock of American Water Works is held by insiders.
Percentage Held by Institutions
84.99% of the stock of American Water Works is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

2.5

Earnings and Valuation

Earnings Growth
Earnings for American Water Works are expected to grow by 7.07% in the coming year, from $4.81 to $5.15 per share.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market
The P/E ratio of American Water Works is 27.22, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 113.50.
Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector
The P/E ratio of American Water Works is 27.22, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Utilities sector average P/E ratio of about 96.36.
Price to Earnings Growth Ratio
American Water Works has a PEG Ratio of 3.32. PEG Ratios above 1 indicate that a company could be overvalued.
Price to Book Value per Share Ratio
American Water Works has a P/B Ratio of 2.58. P/B Ratios below 3 indicates that a company is reasonably valued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

See Top Rated MarketRank™ Stocks Here

About American Water Works Stock (NYSE:AWK)

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 1,600 communities in 14 states serving approximately 3.4 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. It also provides water and wastewater services on various military installations; and undertakes contracts with municipal customers, primarily to operate and manage water and wastewater facilities, as well as offers other related services. In addition, the company operates approximately 80 surface water treatment plants; 490 groundwater treatment plants; 175 wastewater treatment plants; 53,500 miles of transmission, distribution, and collection mains and pipes; 1,100 groundwater wells; 1,700 water and wastewater pumping stations; 1,100 treated water storage facilities; and 73 dams. It serves approximately 14 million people with drinking water, wastewater, and other related services in 24 states. The company was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey.

AWK Stock Price History

30 days | 90 days | 365 days | Advanced Chart

AWK Stock News Headlines

November 29, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

Reasons to Add American Water Works (AWK) to Your Portfolio Now

November 29, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

American Water Selects Water For People for New York Stock Exchange’s 2023 Global Giving Campaign

November 30, 2023 | Edge On The Street (Ad)

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November 25, 2023 | benzinga.com

American Water Works Stock (NYSE:AWK), Quotes and News Summary

November 24, 2023 | benzinga.com

American Water Works Stock (NYSE:AWK) Dividends: History, Yield and Dates

November 22, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

Deadline Extended: California American Water Signs Agreement for Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Through March 31, 2024

November 21, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

Missouri American Water Proudly Recognizes the American Water Charitable Foundation 2023 Workforce Readiness Grantees

November 17, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

California American Water Reaches Partial Settlement Agreement in Its General Rate Case on Revenues for 2024 through 2026

November 30, 2023 | Edge On The Street (Ad)

Gold Could Be Heading for Record Highs - But How to Play It?

November 15, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

American Water Shares Important Tips for Identifying Scammers on Utility Scam Awareness Day

November 15, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

American Water Charitable Foundation Awards $500,000 through Workforce Readiness and STEM Education Grant Programs

November 14, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

American Water Honored by the Executive Women of New Jersey with the 2023 Corporate Board Gender Diversity Award

November 13, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

California American Water Hosts Free Water Conservation Workshop

November 13, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

New Jersey American Water Hosts Graduation Ceremony for "Water UP!" Training Program

November 13, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

American Water Employees Contribute Over 2,500 Volunteer Hours During Companywide AmerICANs in Action! Month of Service

November 13, 2023 | msn.com

American Water (AWK) Unit Gets Approval to Buy BASA for $230M

November 11, 2023 | markets.businessinsider.com

RBC Capital Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on American Water (AWK)

November 10, 2023 | msn.com

American Water Works Subsidiary Gets Pennsylvania PUC Approval To Buy Wastewater System For $230M

November 10, 2023 | finance.yahoo.com

American Water to Contribute Expertise to Several Panels at the 2023 NARUC Annual Meeting and Education Conference