American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) Given Consensus Rating of “Reduce” by Brokerages

Shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) have been given an average rating of “Reduce” by the eight research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $140.00.

Several brokerages have recently commented on AWK. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $164.00 target price on shares of American Water Works in a report on Thursday, September 19th. Mizuho lowered shares of American Water Works from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $131.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Bank of America reiterated an “underperform” rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Friday, September 20th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of American Water Works to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $124.00 price target on the stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Water Works

In other news, Director Martha Clark Goss sold 710 shares of American Water Works stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.85, for a total transaction of $101,423.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 36,880 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,268,308. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Water Works

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Water Works during the second quarter worth $30,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new position in American Water Works during the first quarter worth $41,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in American Water Works by 155.6% during the third quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 299 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in American Water Works during the second quarter worth $46,000. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. bought a new position in American Water Works during the second quarter worth $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.58% of the company’s stock.

American Water Works Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of AWK opened at $132.84 on Friday. American Water Works has a 12 month low of $113.34 and a 12 month high of $150.68. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $142.39 and its 200-day moving average is $136.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.89 billion, a PE ratio of 26.31, a P/E/G ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a current ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21.

American Water Works Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th will be given a $0.765 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $3.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.30%. American Water Works’s dividend payout ratio is currently 60.59%.

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.