AWK

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for American Water Works (AWK). Shares have lost about 4.7% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500. Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is American Water Works due for a breakout? Well, first let's take a quick look at the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent drivers for American Water Works Company, Inc. before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late. American Water Works Q1 Earnings Lag Estimates, Revenues Rise Y/YAmerican Water Works Company reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.01, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.10 by 8.18%. The bottom line declined 0.98% from the year-ago quarter's level of $1.02 per share. AWK’s total quarterly revenues of $1.21 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.12 billion by 8.25%. The top line also increased 5.69% from the year-ago figure of $1.14 billion. Regulated businesses’ net revenues in the first quarter of 2026 were $1.11 billion, up 5.91% year over year.Others’ net revenues in the first quarter of 2026 were $96 million, up 3.23% year over year. Total operating expenses for the first quarter of 2026 were $816 million, up 5.84% from the year-ago quarter’s $771 million, primarily driven by higher operation and maintenance expenses.The operating income totaled $391 million, up 5.39% from the year-ago figure of $371 million.AWK continues to expand its business through acquisitions and organic growth. As of March 31, 2026, the company closed one acquisition, adding 4,600 new customers. The completion of another 22 pending acquisitions is expected to add nearly 58,400 new customers.New rates effective since Jan.1, 2026, will increase 2026 annual revenues by $89 million. As of April 30, 2026, the pending rate cases, if approved without any changes, are projected to increase revenues by another $518 million. American Water Works’ cash and cash equivalents amounted to $137 million as of March 31, 2026, compared with $98 million as of Dec. 31, 2025.Total long-term debt was $12.77 billion as of March 31, 2026, down 0.09% from $12.78 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025.In first-quarter 2026, cash flow from operating activities was $305 million compared with $331 million in the year-ago period. On April 21, 2026, A...

Essential Utilities Inc. WTRG reported first-quarter 2026 operating earnings per share (EPS) of 83 cents, which lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.01 by 17.82%. The bottom line decreased 19.41% from $1.03 in the year-ago quarter. WTRG’s first-quarter GAAP earnings were 79 cents compared with $1.03 reported in the year-ago quarter. The difference between GAAP and operating earnings was due to the impact of merger-related expenses incurred in the quarter. Operating revenues of $862 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $768 million by 12.17%. The top line rose nearly 10% from the prior-year quarter’s $783.6 million. The improvement in total revenues was due to additional revenues from regulatory recoveries and purchased gas costs. Essential Utilities Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Essential Utilities Inc. Quote Essential Utilities’ water segment reported revenues for the quarter of $323 million, an increase of 7.4% compared to $300.8 million in the first quarter of 2025. The year-over-year improvement was due to regulatory recoveries and increased volume. WTRG’s regulated natural gas segment reported quarterly revenues of $529.4 million, up from $470.8 million in the first quarter of 2025, primarily driven by higher purchased gas costs, increased regulatory recoveries and the impact of weather normalization adjustments. Total operating expenses amounted to $551.1 million, up 23.9% from the year-ago figure of $444.7 million due to increases in purchased gas costs, and higher operation and maintenance expenses than the previous year period. Operating income totaled $310.6 million, down 8.4% year over year. The year-over-year decline was due to an increase in operating expenses. Interest expenses increased 6.33% to $87.3 million from $79.3 million in the prior-year quarter. The company continues to expand its operations through acquisitions and organic initiatives. The pending acquisition, if closed, can add more than 200,000 customers to Essential Utilities’ customer base. So far in 2026, the company’s regulated water segment has secured rate awards and infrastructure surcharges expected to increase annual revenues by $5.7 million across Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Its regulated natural gas segment also received rate awards and infrastructure surcharges in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, projected to add $9.4 million in ann...

Power supplier The Southern Company SO delivered adjusted earnings per share of $1.32 in the first quarter of 2026, up 7.3% from $1.23 a year ago. The figure topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.21 by 9.1%. Quarterly revenue came in at $8.4 billion, an 8% increase from $7.8 billion in the year-ago period. Revenues also beat the consensus mark of $8.1 billion by 3.8%. Management credited the quarter’s upside to higher utility revenues, supported by customer growth and usage, as weather-normal retail electricity sales increased 2.3% year over year. Weather-normal retail electricity sales rose across all three customer classes, reflecting a mix of usage and customer additions. Residential volumes were supported by 46,000 new customers added since March 2025, consistent with continued net migration into the company’s service areas. Commercial electricity demand was a major growth driver, with power sales to businesses rising 4.5% from the year-ago period after adjusting for weather impacts. Data center usage expanded 42% year over year, driven by accelerating load ramps at large facilities. Industrial sales increased 1.5%, with particular strength cited in primary metals and pipeline-related activity. Southern Company (The) price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Southern Company (The) Quote The revenue beat reflected strength in multiple buckets. Retail electric revenue increased on the fuel side, while wholesale electric revenues rose year over year. Natural gas revenues advanced as well, adding another source of top-line momentum. Cost pressure remained visible across several line items. Total operating expenses rose year over year, including higher fuel and purchased power, a higher cost of natural gas, and higher depreciation and amortization. Interest expense also increased versus the prior-year quarter, consistent with management’s commentary that higher financing costs partly offset operating gains. Beyond near-term results, the quarter highlighted continued progress in large-load contracting. Southern discussed 23 gigawatts of projects either contracted or in late-stage development, with contracted large-load agreements exceeding 11 gigawatts across its electric subsidiaries. In recent months, the company also signed contracts representing 1.9 gigawatts of additional customer load with hyperscalers. This rising demand is shaping the company’s future p...

American States Water Company AWR reported first-quarter 2026 operating earnings per share (EPS) of 76 cents, up 8.6% from the year-ago quarter’s level of 70 cents. The metric missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny in the reported quarter. Operating revenues totaled $169.2 million, up 14.3% from the year-ago quarter’s level of $148.01 million. The year-over-year increase in total revenues was due to strong contributions from all three segments. American States Water Company price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | American States Water Company Quote Total revenues from the Water segment were $113.1 million, up 10.9% from $102 million in the year-ago period. Revenues from the Electric segment were $18.7 million, up 24.7% from $15 million in the year-ago quarter. Revenues from the Contracted Services segment were $37.4 million, up from $31 million in the year-ago quarter. Operating expenses totaled $117.8 million, up 14.9% from the year-ago quarter’s level of $102.5 million. This increase was due to higher water purchased, power purchased for pumping, other operation expenses and higher ASUS construction expenses. Operating income totaled $51.4 million, up 12.8% from $45.6 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2025. Interest expenses amounted to $12.1 million, nearly the same as the year-ago levels. Interest income totaled $0.98 million compared with $2.01 million in the year-ago quarter. As of March 31, 2026, AWR’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $22.1 million compared with $18.8 million as of Dec. 31, 2025. Long-term debt was $782.7 million as of March 31, 2026, on par with the figure as of Dec. 31, 2025. Cash provided by operating activities in the first quarter of 2026 totaled $71.7 million compared with $45.1 million in the year-ago period. AWR’s regulated utilities are authorized to spend nearly $650 million in capital investments, as approved in the utilities’ general rate cases, targeting $185-$225 million in 2026. American States Water currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. American Water Works Company AWK reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.01, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.10 by 8.18%. The bottom line declined 0.98% from the year-ago quarter's level of $1.02. AWK’s total quarterly revenues of $1.21 bill...

SAN DIEGO, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- California American Water published its 2025 Consumer Confidence Reports, demonstrating high-quality water service throughout its state districts. The annual reports compare California American Water's water quality with standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water. The reports also cover drinking water sources, public health information, substances detected in the water and the levels of those substances. Commonly asked questions and answers concerning drinking water are also included. The reports continue a contemporary design that features illustrated sections of common containments and simple-to-read explanations of the various technical terms within the document. "We are pleased to announce that our 2025 reports demonstrate excellent water quality," said Sarah Leeper, President of California American Water. "We hope that customers will find these reports educational and helpful in answering the questions they may have about the state of their water." Customers can look up their water quality reports by zip code by visiting: Water Quality Reports About American Water American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886 and celebrating 140 years in 2026, We Keep Life Flowingﾮ by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to approximately 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water's approximately 7,000 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders. For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram. About California American Water California American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK) with approximately 300 dedicated employees, provides safe, clean, reliable and affordable water and wastewater services to approximately 720,000 people. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/water-quality-reports-show-excellent-results-for-california-american-water-custo...

American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) shareholders are probably feeling a little disappointed, since its shares fell 3.8% to US$127 in the week after its latest quarterly results. It was a pretty mixed result, with revenues beating expectations to hit US$1.2b. Statutory earnings fell 7.5% short of analyst forecasts, reaching US$1.00 per share. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. We've gathered the most recent statutory forecasts to see whether the analysts have changed their earnings models, following these results. We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free. Following the latest results, American Water Works Company's nine analysts are now forecasting revenues of US$5.46b in 2026. This would be a modest 4.9% improvement in revenue compared to the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to increase 7.9% to US$6.09. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$5.39b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$6.09 in 2026. The consensus analysts don't seem to have seen anything in these results that would have changed their view on the business, given there's been no major change to their estimates. Check out our latest analysis for American Water Works Company There were no changes to revenue or earnings estimates or the price target of US$138, suggesting that the company has met expectations in its recent result. There's another way to think about price targets though, and that's to look at the range of price targets put forward by analysts, because a wide range of estimates could suggest a diverse view on possible outcomes for the business. There are some variant perceptions on American Water Works Company, with the most bullish analyst valuing it at US$155 and the most bearish at US$124 per share. This is a very narrow spread of estimates, implying either that American Water Works Company is an easy company to value, or - more likely - the analysts are relying heavily on some key assumptions. Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or les...

American Water Works Company AWK reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.01, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.10 by 8.18%. The bottom line declined 0.98% from the year-ago quarter's level of $1.02 per share. AWK’s total quarterly revenues of $1.21 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.12 billion by 8.25%. The top line also increased 5.69% from the year-ago figure of $1.14 billion. American Water Works Company, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | American Water Works Company, Inc. Quote Regulated businesses’ net revenues in the first quarter of 2026 were $1.11 billion, up 5.91% year over year. Others’ net revenues in the first quarter of 2026 were $96 million, up 3.23% year over year. Total operating expenses for the first quarter of 2026 were $816 million, up 5.84% from the year-ago quarter’s $771 million, primarily driven by higher operation and maintenance expenses. The operating income totaled $391 million, up 5.39% from the year-ago figure of $371million. AWK continues to expand its business through acquisitions and organic growth. As of March 31, 2026, the company closed one acquisition, adding 4,600 new customers. The completion of another 22 pending acquisitions is expected to add nearly 58,400 new customers. New rates effective since Jan.1, 2026, will increase 2026 annual revenues by $89 million. As of April 30, 2026, the pending rate cases, if approved without any changes, are projected to increase revenues by another $518 million. American Water Works’ cash and cash equivalents amounted to $137 million as of March 31, 2026, compared with $98 million as of Dec. 31, 2025. Total long-term debt was $12.77 billion as of March 31, 2026, down 0.09% from $12.78 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025. In first-quarter 2026, cash flow from operating activities was $305 million compared with $331 million in the year-ago period. On April 21, 2026, American Water Works stated that its merger with Essential Utilities, Inc. had received its first regulatory approval from the Kentucky Public Service Commission. American Water Works affirmed its 2026 EPS guidance in the range of $6.02-$6.12. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.09 lies near the high end of the company’s guided range. AWK plans to invest $3.7 billion in 2026. The company still expects its long-term EPS and dividend growth to be 7-9% and rate-based g...

American Water reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $1.01 (consolidated $1.00), reaffirmed full‑year adjusted EPS guidance of $6.02–$6.12 with ~8% EPS growth expected in 2026 (mostly in H2), and the board raised the quarterly dividend 8.2% to $0.895 while reiterating 7–9% annual dividend and EPS growth targets. The proposed merger with Essential Utilities advanced with Kentucky approval, a Virginia decision expected in June, a planned Hart‑Scott‑Rodino filing late this summer, and the companies still targeting a close by the end of Q1 2027 pending approvals in seven states. Regulatory, capital and financing highlights include final orders in West Virginia and Maryland and active rate cases in PA/NJ/VA/CA/IL (PA recommended decision expected in May, final order in July); the company is investing in PFAS remediation, lead service line removal and smart meters, has secured about $185 million from PFAS manufacturers, holds 105,000 customer connections under agreement totaling $565 million with Nexus Water expected to close by June 30, and has strengthened liquidity by repaying a $795 million note, issuing $700 million long‑term debt at 5.2%, sitting at a 58% debt‑to‑capital ratio and expecting an ~$84 million New Jersey CAMT refund. Interested in American Water Works Company, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. 3 American Outperformers Are Lifting and Initiating Dividends American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) opened 2026 with first-quarter results that management said were “right on track” to achieve full-year targets, while also providing updates on regulatory activity, infrastructure investments, acquisition growth and progress on its proposed merger with Essential Utilities. President and CEO John Griffith said the company began the year with adjusted earnings of $1.01 per share, which he described as reflecting “a successful execution of our plan so far in 2026.” Griffith said the company expects to deliver 8% EPS growth in 2026 and reaffirmed full-year earnings guidance as well as long-term targets. → Corning Beats Q1 Estimates but Drops 9% on Guidance Miss Beat the Volatility: Top 3 Low-Beta Stocks to Watch CFO David Bowler said consolidated earnings were $1.00 per share and “in line with our expectations.” Bowler attributed higher revenue to authorized rate increases tied to investment recovery across the company’s states, while noting that operating and maintena...

American Water Works (AWK) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.01 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.1 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.05 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -8.18%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this water utility would post earnings of $1.28 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.24, delivering a surprise of -3.13%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once. American Water Works, which belongs to the Zacks Utility - Water Supply industry, posted revenues of $1.21 billion for the quarter ended March 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.21%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.14 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. American Water Works shares have added about 1.7% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 4.3%. While American Water Works has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for American Water Works was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the comple...

First quarter 2026 GAAP earnings were $1.00 per share, compared to $1.05 per share in 2025 Excluding transaction costs for the proposed Essential Utilities merger and incremental interest income from the repaid HOS secured seller note, first quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.01 per share, compared to $1.02 per share in the same quarter in 2025 2026 earnings per share guidance range of $6.02 to $6.12 affirmed Announced quarterly cash dividend of $0.8950 per share of common stock, payable in June, an increase of 8.2% Successfully issued in April $700 million of 5.200% senior notes due 2036 CAMDEN, N.J., April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE: AWK) today reported adjusted results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, of $1.01 per share, compared to $1.02 per share for the same quarter in 2025. "The company has delivered solid first quarter results and we are affirming our long-term targets for both earnings and dividend growth at 7 to 9 percent," said John Griffith, President and CEO of American Water. "We are also encouraged with the progress we and Essential have made thus far in merger integration planning work and were pleased to receive the first state regulatory approval for the merger last week in Kentucky," added Griffith. 2026 EPS Guidance and Long-Term Financial Targets Affirmed The company affirms its 2026 adjusted earnings per share ("EPS") guidance range of $6.02 to $6.12 (non-GAAP). The 2026 adjusted EPS guidance range does not include (i) transaction costs to be incurred by the company during 2026 related to the proposed merger with Essential Utilities, Inc. ("Essential Utilities"), (ii) impacts of weather, if any, during 2026, and (iii) incremental interest income through February 13, 2026 related to the 2024 amendment of the former Homeowner Services Group ("HOS") secured seller note. Management is unable to present a reconciliation of the adjusted EPS guidance range to a GAAP guidance range without unreasonable effort because management cannot reliably predict the nature, amount or probable significance of all of such adjustments for future periods; however, these adjustments may, individually or in the aggregate, cause adjusted EPS to differ significantly from GAAP EPS. The company also affirms its long-term financial targets, including its long-term EPS and dividend growth rate targets of 7-9%. The company...

American Water Works Company AWK is scheduled to release first-quarter 2026 results on April 29, after market close. The company delivered a negative earnings surprise of 3.13% in the last reported quarter. Let us discuss the factors that are likely to be reflected in the upcoming quarterly results. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.10 per share, implying a year-over-year increase of 4.76%. The consensus estimate for revenues is pinned at $1.16 billion, indicating growth of 1.37% from the year-ago reported number. American Water Works’ first-quarter 2026 earnings are likely to have benefited from several newly implemented rates. These allow recovery of infrastructure investments and enhance earnings visibility. The company continues to expand its operation through strategic acquisition and organic growth, which is accretive to its earnings being reported. American Water Works completed 18 acquisitions in 2025, and the synergies from these acquisitions are expected to have supported first-quarter 2026 earnings. The company has been making regular capital investments, upgrading and replacing aging infrastructure, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and service reliability. This creates fresh demand, attracts new customers and is likely to have boosted quarterly performance. Our proven model does not predict an earnings beat for American Water Works this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. That is not the case here, as you will see below. AWK’s Earnings ESP: The company has an Earnings ESP of -2.73% at present. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. AWK’s Zacks Rank: Currently, American Water Works carries a Zacks Rank #3. American Water Works Company, Inc. price-eps-surprise | American Water Works Company, Inc. Quote Investors may consider the following players from the same sector, as these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this reporting cycle. WEC Energy Group WEC is set to report first-quarter 2026 results on May 5 and is likely to come up with an earnings beat. It has an Earnings ESP of +0.54% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. WEC’s long-term (three to five ye...