American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the eleven ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have given a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $140.60.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on AWK shares. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of American Water Works in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Barclays upped their price objective on American Water Works from $124.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of American Water Works from $138.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $131.00 price objective on American Water Works in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of American Water Works from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd.

American Water Works Stock Down 0.7%

AWK opened at $137.10 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a current ratio of 0.37. American Water Works has a fifty-two week low of $120.57 and a fifty-two week high of $147.87. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $129.35 and its 200 day moving average is $131.01. The stock has a market cap of $26.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.61.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.08. American Water Works had a return on equity of 10.38% and a net margin of 21.35%.The business had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.48 EPS. American Water Works’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. American Water Works has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.020-6.120 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that American Water Works will post 6.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Water Works Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be paid a $0.895 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $3.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. American Water Works’s dividend payout ratio is 63.48%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AWK. Aberdeen Group plc lifted its position in shares of American Water Works by 10.7% during the fourth quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 489,371 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $63,863,000 after buying an additional 47,352 shares during the last quarter. TSP Capital Management Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Water Works in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,559,000. Cbre Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC grew its position in shares of American Water Works by 82.7% in the 4th quarter. Cbre Investment Management Listed Real Assets LLC now owns 21,430 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,797,000 after buying an additional 9,698 shares during the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in shares of American Water Works during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,347,000. Finally, Country Trust Bank lifted its position in American Water Works by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 178,599 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $23,307,000 after acquiring an additional 11,401 shares during the last quarter. 86.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More American Water Works News

Here are the key news stories impacting American Water Works this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AWK reported second-quarter adjusted and GAAP earnings of $1.61 per share, above analyst expectations, while revenue increased 6.2% year over year to approximately $1.35 billion. Earnings also improved from $1.48 per share in the prior-year quarter. American Water Reports Solid Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management affirmed its $3.7 billion capital investment plan, reported progress on regulatory actions—including new Pennsylvania rates scheduled to take effect August 13—and said its proposed merger with Essential Utilities continues to advance, with approvals in three states and a Texas settlement in principle. American Water Reports Solid Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.895 per share, supporting AWK’s income appeal and signaling continued confidence in cash flows. The dividend is payable September 1 to shareholders of record August 11. American Water Announces Quarterly Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Illinois American Water announced workforce-development initiatives aimed at building the next generation of water-industry employees. The effort may support long-term operational needs but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Illinois American Water Supports Water Utility Workforce Development
• Negative Sentiment: AWK maintained its 2026 EPS outlook at $6.02–$6.12, with a midpoint of $6.07 that is slightly below the roughly $6.08 consensus estimate. Investors may view the lack of a guidance increase as underwhelming despite the quarterly beat, particularly with the shares trading at a relatively elevated earnings multiple.

American Water Works Company 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.