Groupe la Francaise Acquires 6,011 Shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. $AWK

Groupe la Francaise increased its holdings in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) by 9.2% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 71,173 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,011 shares during the period. Groupe la Francaise’s holdings in American Water Works were worth $9,362,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Reflection Asset Management bought a new stake in American Water Works during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new position in shares of American Water Works during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of American Water Works by 82.6% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC bought a new position in shares of American Water Works in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Harborfront Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Water Works in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 86.58% of the company’s stock.

American Water Works Price Performance

NYSE AWK opened at $140.49 on Monday. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a one year low of $120.57 and a one year high of $145.64. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $135.18 and a 200 day moving average of $132.37. 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 $27.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.35, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.59.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.33 billion. American Water Works had a net margin of 21.35% and a return on equity of 10.20%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.48 EPS. 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 Company, Inc. will post 6.09 EPS for the current year.

American Water Works Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 11th were given a dividend of $0.895 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $3.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. American Water Works’s dividend payout ratio is 62.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho upped their price target on American Water Works from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of American Water Works from $124.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of American Water Works from $138.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of American Water Works in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of American Water Works from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, American Water Works currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $138.78.

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.