American Water Works (AWK)
NYSEUtilitiesRegulated WaterSnapshot 2026-09-04
$140.70-0.13%
Close 2026-09-04 · 1-day change
NYSEUtilitiesRegulated WaterSnapshot 2026-09-04
Research Workspace
Put AWK beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Utilities is in steady. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
Primary pillar under pressure — Adjusted EPS in range $6.02 to $6.12 for 2026: EPS $6.02 vs $6.02 target.
View ThesisRevenue growth is slowing — up about 7% over the past year and decelerating.
View GrowthMiddle-of-the-pack quality for its industry.
View QualityManagement screens strong on capital allocation.
View ManagementExpectations look high — the market is pricing in about 23% growth a year, above the roughly 7% analysts expect, leaving little room for error.
View ValuationModerate volatility — typically moves about 1% a day.
View RiskAWK's growth depends on completing its merger with Essential Utilities by Q1 2027. The latest earnings report showed adjusted EPS at $1.61, beating the consensus of $1.59. AWK trades at 2.4× price-to-book, compared to a peer median of 2.0×. The market is pricing in more growth than forecasted, indicating expectations look full. Specific risks include potential regulatory issues that could impact revenue growth. Peer multiples imply a price about 23% below where it trades. This read is provisional; the thesis is on watch due to a primary pillar under pressure.
Trailing returns as of 2026-09-04. AWK is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 13 analysts currently covering AWK (as of Sep 2026).
Based on 3 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for AWK in the last 4 months.
Continue this research
Compare AWK with peers and holdings, graph the same reported metric, keep your questions beside the evidence, and return when the facts change.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWK Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 10 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-09-04. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Water Utilities — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put AWK next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Acquisition supports growth and regulatory objectives.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-09-04. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $140.70
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $140.70.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Below average on quality vs scored peers
A second lens on the 12-month fair value: for companies that score high on measured quality (profitability, balance-sheet safety, earnings stability), this read trusts more of today's profit margins instead of averaging them toward their multi-year history the way the headline number does. Shown alongside the fair value above, not in place of it. A diagnostic, not a price target or a buy/sell signal.
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Potential regulatory issues could impact revenue growth objectives.
Advances: Complete merger with Essential Utilities by Q1 2027
Merger progress supports growth objectives.
Advances: Affirm 2026 EPS guidance
Earnings call affirms 2026 EPS guidance.
Threatens: Seek regulatory rate adjustments to support revenue growth
Opposition to rate increase may hinder revenue growth.
Threatens: Seek regulatory rate adjustments to support revenue growth
Rate increase rejection impacts revenue growth objectives.
Potential acquisition could impact AWK's market position.
Advances: Announce acquisition
Acquisition aligns with capital allocation strategy.