American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) Shares Sold by Covea Finance

Covea Finance lessened its holdings in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Free Report) by 68.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 121,567 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 261,600 shares during the period. Covea Finance owned 0.06% of American Water Works worth $15,134,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AWK. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC raised its stake in American Water Works by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 1,858 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $272,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of American Water Works by 1.2% during the third quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,424 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $938,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of American Water Works by 2.9% during the third quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 2,790 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $408,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Invesco LLC lifted its holdings in American Water Works by 3.4% in the third quarter. Invesco LLC now owns 2,467 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $361,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Finally, Assetmark Inc. grew its position in American Water Works by 31.7% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 370 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. 86.58% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Water Works Price Performance

AWK stock opened at $122.57 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $129.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $137.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.89 billion, a PE ratio of 24.27, a P/E/G ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.71. 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 Company, Inc. has a one year low of $113.34 and a one year high of $150.68.

American Water Works Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be given a dividend of $0.765 per share. This represents a $3.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.50%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. American Water Works's payout ratio is 60.59%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on AWK shares. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of American Water Works to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Wells Fargo & Company raised American Water Works from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $133.00 to $129.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $164.00 target price on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. 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. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on American Water Works in a research note on Monday, October 7th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $124.00 target price for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Water Works has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $141.00.

American Water Works Profile

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.

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