Atom Investors LP Cuts Holdings in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK)

Atom Investors LP reduced its position in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Free Report) by 13.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 67,986 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 10,853 shares during the period. American Water Works accounts for approximately 1.0% of Atom Investors LP's portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest position. Atom Investors LP's holdings in American Water Works were worth $9,942,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. ORG Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of American Water Works by 155.6% during the 3rd quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 299 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of American Water Works in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $46,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the second quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in American Water Works in the third quarter worth $51,000. 86.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Martha Clark Goss sold 710 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.85, for a total transaction of $101,423.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 36,880 shares in the company, valued at $5,268,308. This trade represents a 1.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

American Water Works Stock Performance

Shares of American Water Works stock traded down $1.34 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $135.60. 962,051 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,205,933. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $138.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $137.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.12, a P/E/G ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.70. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a one year low of $113.34 and a one year high of $150.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21.

American Water Works Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 12th will be issued a $0.765 dividend. This represents a $3.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 12th. American Water Works's dividend payout ratio is 60.59%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AWK has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group raised shares of American Water Works from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $151.00 to $155.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of American Water Works in a report on Monday, October 7th. They set an "underperform" rating and a $124.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $164.00 price objective on shares of American Water Works in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. Wolfe Research upgraded American Water Works to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated an "underperform" rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of American Water Works in a report on Friday, September 20th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Water Works currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $142.29.

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.