89,551 American Water Works Company, Inc. $AWK Shares Acquired by King Luther Capital Management Corp

King Luther Capital Management Corp increased its holdings in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) by 5,433.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 91,199 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 89,551 shares during the quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp’s holdings in American Water Works were worth $11,808,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Harborfront Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in American Water Works in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. grew its position in American Water Works by 73.1% during the third quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 232 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new stake in American Water Works during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in American Water Works by 361.0% during the third quarter. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC now owns 272 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Center for Financial Planning Inc. raised its holdings in shares of American Water Works by 43.5% in the 3rd quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 287 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. 86.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Water Works News Roundup

Here’s some of the latest news about AWK:

• Positive Sentiment: Argus turned more bullish: The firm raised its price target from $155 to $165 and reiterated a “buy” rating, implying potential upside from the quoted share price. Argus rating details
• Neutral Sentiment: Other operating news: New Jersey American Water opened its 2027 volunteer fire and EMS grant program, with awards of up to $5,000. Indiana American Water also called for more water and wastewater infrastructure investment. These announcements provide local context but did not disclose a material financial impact. New Jersey grant program
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concern: A Yahoo Finance article argued AWK could be about 31% overvalued despite merger approval, which could weigh on investor sentiment if the market agrees with its valuation assessment. AWK valuation article

American Water Works Trading Down 1.4%

AWK opened at $147.62 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.58, a P/E/G ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.56. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $137.61 and its 200-day moving average is $133.23. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 52-week low of $120.57 and a 52-week high of $153.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The utilities provider reported $2.00 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.04 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $1.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.58 billion. American Water Works had a net margin of 21.26% and a return on equity of 10.14%. American Water Works’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.94 earnings per share. Analysts expect that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 6.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

American Water Works Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.8950 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 12th. This represents a $3.58 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. American Water Works’s dividend payout ratio is presently 62.05%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on AWK. Barclays reduced their price objective on American Water Works from $130.00 to $127.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Mizuho set a $149.00 target price on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Friday, October 30th. Truist Financial set a $139.00 price target on shares of American Water Works in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Argus lifted their price target on shares of American Water Works from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $144.12.

American Water Works Profile

American Water Works Company, Inc. is a U.S. water and wastewater utility that provides services to residential, commercial, industrial, and public-sector customers. Its operations include treating and distributing drinking water, collecting and treating wastewater, and maintaining the infrastructure needed to deliver those services. The company operates regulated water and wastewater utilities across multiple states, serving communities in regions including the Northeast, Midwest, and South. Through contracted operations, it also provides water and wastewater services to certain military installations and municipal customers.