Securian Asset Management Inc. Sells 4,007 Shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. $AWK

Securian Asset Management Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) by 43.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,305 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 4,007 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in American Water Works were worth $692,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in American Water Works in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new position in American Water Works during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in American Water Works during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Westfuller Advisors LLC bought a new stake in American Water Works during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 86.58% of the company’s stock.

American Water Works Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:AWK opened at $125.98 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $24.60 billion, a PE ratio of 22.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.34. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $133.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $131.58. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 1 year low of $121.28 and a 1 year high of $147.87.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.01 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.10 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $1.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. American Water Works had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 21.17%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.05 earnings per share. American Water Works has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.020-6.120 EPS. Analysts forecast that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 6.09 earnings per share for the current year.

American Water Works Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 12th will be given a $0.895 dividend. This is a positive change from American Water Works’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.58 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 12th. American Water Works’s payout ratio is presently 63.48%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Barclays upped their price target on American Water Works from $122.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $131.00 target price on shares of American Water Works in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Truist Financial began coverage on shares of American Water Works in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. They issued a “hold” rating and a $137.00 target price for the company. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of American Water Works from $149.00 to $137.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of American Water Works from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Sunday, April 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $139.11.

About American Water Works

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.