Clearbridge Investments LLC Has $35.36 Million Stake in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK)

Clearbridge Investments LLC reduced its position in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) by 12.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 284,019 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 39,550 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC’s holdings in American Water Works were worth $35,358,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of American Water Works during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Providence First Trust Co acquired a new position in American Water Works during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in American Water Works in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in American Water Works by 54.2% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 293 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Water Works during the 4th quarter worth about $47,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.58% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com lowered American Water Works from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on American Water Works from $147.00 to $128.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of American Water Works from $133.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $141.86.

American Water Works Stock Performance

AWK opened at $146.96 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 12-month low of $113.34 and a 12-month high of $152.07. The business has a 50 day moving average of $133.95 and a 200-day moving average of $134.30. The stock has a market cap of $28.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.27, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.69.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The utilities provider reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.13 by $0.09. American Water Works had a return on equity of 10.29% and a net margin of 22.44%. The business had revenue of $1.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. On average, equities research analysts expect that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 5.71 earnings per share for the current year.

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.