Aviva PLC Grows Stock Position in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK)

Posted by Mark Dietrich on May 26th, 2023

Aviva PLC boosted its stake in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK – Get Rating) by 21.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 125,292 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 22,540 shares during the period. Aviva PLC owned approximately 0.07% of American Water Works worth $19,097,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC purchased a new stake in American Water Works in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in American Water Works by 296.6% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 234 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC increased its stake in American Water Works by 133.0% in the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 487 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the period. Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in American Water Works in the fourth quarter worth $45,000. Finally, HBC Financial Services PLLC purchased a new stake in American Water Works in the second quarter worth $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.06% of the company’s stock.

American Water Works Price Performance

Shares of AWK stock opened at $142.45 on Friday. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 1-year low of $122.77 and a 1-year high of $162.59. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $146.60 and its 200 day moving average is $148.92. The company has a market cap of $27.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.31, a PEG ratio of 3.65 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 0.71 and a quick ratio of 0.65.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK – Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.01). American Water Works had a net margin of 21.40% and a return on equity of 10.22%. The company had revenue of $938.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $903.84 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.87 EPS. American Water Works’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 4.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Water Works Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 9th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 8th. This is an increase from American Water Works’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. American Water Works’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on AWK shares. Bank of America increased their target price on American Water Works from $134.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Monday, April 24th. TheStreet downgraded American Water Works from a “b” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on American Water Works in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $156.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Water Works news, Director Michael Marberry purchased 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 18th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $142.35 per share, with a total value of $199,290.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,673 shares in the company, valued at $522,851.55. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

About American Water Works

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American Water Works Co, Inc engages in the provision of complementary water and wastewater services. It operates through the following segments: Regulated Businesses, Market-Based Businesses, and Other. The Regulated Businesses segment offers water and wastewater services to customers. The Market-Based Businesses segment includes the military services group, which enters into long-term contracts with the U.S.