Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $30.89 Million Stake in American Water Works Company, Inc. $AWK

Principal Financial Group Inc. trimmed its stake in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) by 2.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 226,956 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 6,024 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.12% of American Water Works worth $30,886,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its stake in shares of American Water Works by 71.7% in the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 194 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of American Water Works by 82.6% during the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC bought a new position in American Water Works during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new position in American Water Works during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. 86.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

American Water Works Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of NYSE AWK opened at $135.08 on Monday. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 12-month low of $120.57 and a 12-month high of $147.87. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $127.56 and its 200 day simple moving average is $130.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The company has a market cap of $26.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.61.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.01 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.10 by ($0.09). American Water Works had a net margin of 21.17% and a return on equity of 10.20%. The company had revenue of $1.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.05 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. American Water Works has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.020-6.120 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 6.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

American Water Works Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 12th were issued a $0.895 dividend. This is an increase from American Water Works’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 12th. American Water Works’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.48%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of American Water Works from $137.00 to $130.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of American Water Works from $138.00 to $147.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Wall Street Zen raised American Water Works from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of American Water Works in a report on Thursday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $140.60.

American Water Works Company Profile

American Water Works Company, Inc (NYSE: AWK) is a publicly traded utility company that provides water and wastewater services in the United States. Its core business is the operation, management and maintenance of regulated water and wastewater systems that deliver potable water, collect and treat wastewater, and provide related customer services to residential, commercial and industrial customers as well as municipalities. The company’s operations include water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, meter reading and billing, emergency repairs, and long-term infrastructure planning and capital project execution.

In addition to its regulated utility operations, American Water offers complementary nonregulated services and solutions that support system reliability and customer needs.