American Water Works Company, Inc. $AWK Stock: Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Cuts Stake

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lessened its position in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) by 53.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,519 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 5,272 shares during the period. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.’s holdings in American Water Works were worth $585,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Harborfront Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of American Water Works during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of American Water Works by 73.1% during the 3rd quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 232 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Global Assets Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. 86.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on AWK. Mizuho set a $149.00 price objective on shares of American Water Works in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Truist Financial set a $139.00 target price on shares of American Water Works in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of American Water Works from $138.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of American Water Works from $130.00 to $127.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of American Water Works in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Water Works has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $139.86.

Trending Headlines about American Water Works

Here are the key news stories impacting American Water Works this week:

• Positive Sentiment: West Virginia American Water announced an $850,000 infrastructure project on Old Route 38 in Fayetteville, following a separate $700,000 project in Glen Jean. The investments support ongoing system upgrades, though their direct financial impact is likely limited. West Virginia American Water Announces $850,000 Infrastructure Investment Project on Old Route 38 West Virginia American Water Announces $700,000 Infrastructure Project in Glen Jean
• Positive Sentiment: Huntington Securities forecasts EPS of $6.58 for FY2027 and $7.12 for FY2028, suggesting continued earnings growth. Its FY2026 estimate of $6.09 is in line with the cited consensus, so the forecasts are supportive but not a clear near-term earnings upgrade. American Water Works earnings estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street brokerages collectively rated AWK “Hold,” indicating a broadly cautious or balanced view rather than a strong bullish or bearish consensus. American Water Works Company, Inc. Stock Rated “Hold” by Wall Street Brokerages

American Water Works Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of American Water Works stock opened at $149.43 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.39. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 52 week low of $120.57 and a 52 week high of $149.68. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $136.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $132.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.75 billion, a PE ratio of 24.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.56.

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

American Water Works Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 12th will be issued 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%.

American Water Works Company Profile

American Water Works Company, Inc is a public water and wastewater utility that provides essential services to residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers. Through its regulated businesses, the company supplies drinking water, collects and treats wastewater, and manages related infrastructure, including treatment plants, pipelines, storage facilities and customer service systems.

Founded in 1886, American Water has grown into one of the largest water and wastewater service providers in the United States.