American Water Works (AWK)
NYSEUtilitiesRegulated WaterSnapshot 2026-10-30
$144.37+1.52%
Close 2026-10-30 · 1-day change
NYSEUtilitiesRegulated WaterSnapshot 2026-10-30
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: Direct metric needs a verified mapping.
View ThesisRevenue growth is slowing — up about 5% over the past year and decelerating.
View GrowthMiddle-of-the-pack quality for its industry.
View QualityManagement screens strong on capital allocation, margins.
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 merger with Essential Utilities and steady regulated growth underpin the case, though recent results are mixed. Q2 revenue grew 6.2% year over year, while Q3 2026 earnings missed estimates. AWK trades at 2.4× P/B versus a 2.0× peer median and its 2.3× historical multiple. The market is pricing in more growth than our forecast. Our model puts the next-quarter miss probability near 34%. The 2026 adjusted EPS range needs verified mapping, leaving the primary pillar under pressure. Peer multiples imply a price about 23% below where it trades. The thesis is on watch; this read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-10-30. 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 Oct 2026).
Based on 4 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for AWK in the last 4 months.
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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 2026-10-30. 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.
Advances: Complete the proposed merger with Essential Utilities
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 2026-10-30. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $144.37
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $144.37.
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.
Company provides a merger closing timeline and standalone EPS outlook, supporting merger execution and earnings visibility.
Threatens: Affirm long-term EPS and dividend growth targets
Reported earnings miss raises execution concerns, though the headline alone does not establish a lasting target shortfall.
Advances: Complete merger with Essential Utilities by Q1 2027
Acquisition supports growth and merger objectives.
Acquisition supports growth and regulatory objectives.
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.