Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC Buys Shares of 6,789 American Water Works Company, Inc. $AWK

Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 6,789 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $893,000.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,712,173,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of American Water Works by 3,274.6% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,092,757 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $925,605,000 after purchasing an additional 6,882,575 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the fourth quarter worth $337,004,000. GQG Partners LLC increased its holdings in American Water Works by 64.2% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in American Water Works by 383.0% in the third 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 valued at $361,355,000 after purchasing an additional 2,058,656 shares during the last quarter. 86.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More American Water Works News

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

• Positive Sentiment: The Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period for the proposed merger with Essential Utilities has expired, removing a significant U.S. antitrust review milestone. The transaction still requires other approvals and closing conditions, but the development reduces regulatory uncertainty and supports the path toward completion. American Water and Essential Utilities Announce Expiration of Hart-Scott-Rodino Waiting Period for Proposed Merger
• Neutral Sentiment: West Virginia American Water announced a $166,000 infrastructure upgrade in Fayetteville, while California American Water completed $675,000 of system improvements and a separate $1 million water-main upgrade in San Diego. The projects should improve reliability and may support the regulated utility’s long-term asset base, but their financial impact is modest relative to AWK’s overall scale. West Virginia American Water Announces $166,000 Infrastructure Project in Fayetteville California American Water Completes Infrastructure Upgrade in San Diego
• Neutral Sentiment: The American Water Charitable Foundation announced grants totaling $20,000 in California, $75,000 across New Jersey, $30,000-plus in Illinois, and $5,000 in Ventura County. The grants support workforce development, STEM education, United Way programs, and victim-support services, enhancing community relations but having limited direct effect on earnings. American Water Charitable Foundation Workforce Development Grant
• Negative Sentiment: Hawaii American Water reported that approximately 717,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater were temporarily discharged at Sandy Beach after storm-related power loss. The discharge stopped once generator power was restored, limiting the duration, but the event could create environmental, regulatory, or reputational risks. Heavy Rains Cause Temporary Discharge of Partially Treated Wastewater at Sandy Beach

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AWK has been the subject of several analyst reports. Barclays boosted their target price on American Water Works from $124.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of American Water Works in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of American Water Works from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of American Water Works from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial set a $139.00 target price on shares of American Water Works in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. One equities 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 company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $138.78.

American Water Works Stock Performance

Shares of AWK stock opened at $136.36 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a current ratio of 0.52. The company has a market capitalization of $27.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.60. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $132.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $131.35. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 52 week low of $120.57 and a 52 week high of $147.87.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.48 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue 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, analysts expect 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 announced 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 presently 62.05%.

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.