Wealthfront Advisers LLC Invests $11.90 Million in American Water Works Company, Inc. $AWK

Wealthfront Advisers LLC bought a new stake in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund bought 90,433 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $11,899,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board purchased a new position in American Water Works during the second quarter worth about $93,036,000. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in American Water Works in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $893,000. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in American Water Works in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $956,000. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in American Water Works during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI acquired a new position in American Water Works during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $736,000. 86.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about American Water Works

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

American Water Works Stock Up 1.5%

AWK stock opened at $136.36 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $132.27 and its 200 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. The company has a market cap of $27.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.60.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.33 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.48 earnings per share. The firm’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, research 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 company 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. This represents a $3.58 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. American Water Works’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on AWK shares. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of American Water Works in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. UBS Group upped their price objective on American Water Works from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Truist Financial set a $139.00 price objective on American Water Works in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on American Water Works from $138.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised American Water Works from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. 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 company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $138.78.

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.