Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. Sells 98,793 Shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK)

Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. decreased its holdings in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) by 35.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 180,911 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 98,793 shares during the quarter. Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. owned about 0.09% of American Water Works worth $26,456,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of American Water Works by 21.6% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 31,283 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $4,023,000 after acquiring an additional 5,564 shares during the last quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp increased its holdings in American Water Works by 350.4% in the second quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 10,360 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,338,000 after purchasing an additional 8,060 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB lifted its stake in American Water Works by 65.5% in the third quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 106,383 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $15,557,000 after buying an additional 42,094 shares during the period. MBB Public Markets I LLC acquired a new position in American Water Works in the second quarter valued at about $1,610,000. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its holdings in American Water Works by 201.8% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 57,198 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $6,990,000 after buying an additional 38,246 shares during the last quarter. 86.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at American Water Works

In other news, Director Martha Clark Goss sold 710 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.85, for a total value of $101,423.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 36,880 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,268,308. The trade was a 1.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.08% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

American Water Works Stock Performance

NYSE:AWK traded up $0.72 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $138.31. The stock had a trading volume of 746,698 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,211,234. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a twelve month low of $113.34 and a twelve month high of $150.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 0.58. The stock has a market cap of $26.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.39, a PEG ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.70. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $139.34 and its 200 day simple moving average is $137.80.

American Water Works Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 12th will be paid a $0.765 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $3.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.21%. American Water Works’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 60.59%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AWK has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $164.00 price target on shares of American Water Works in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of American Water Works from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and upped their target price for the company from $127.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. UBS Group raised shares of American Water Works from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $151.00 to $155.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on American Water Works in a research note on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $124.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Mizuho lowered American Water Works from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $131.00 to $140.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, American Water Works presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $142.29.

About American Water Works

American Water Works Company, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides water and wastewater services in the United States. It offers water and wastewater services to approximately 1,700 communities in 14 states serving approximately 3.5 million active customers. The company serves residential customers; commercial customers, including food and beverage providers, commercial property developers and proprietors, and energy suppliers; fire service and private fire customers; industrial customers, such as large-scale manufacturers, mining, and production operations; public authorities comprising government buildings and other public sector facilities, such as schools and universities; and other utilities and community water and wastewater systems.