Franklin Resources Inc. Has $54.95 Million Holdings in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK)

Franklin Resources Inc. reduced its stake in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Free Report) by 57.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 441,401 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 592,820 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 0.23% of American Water Works worth $54,950,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on AWK. StockNews.com upgraded shares of American Water Works from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, April 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on American Water Works from $147.00 to $128.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on American Water Works from $133.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Water Works has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $141.86.

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American Water Works Stock Performance

Shares of AWK traded up $1.18 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $140.18. The company's stock had a trading volume of 476,936 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,238,329. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $137.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $134.20. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.34 and a 1-year high of $155.50. The stock has a market cap of $27.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.09, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21.

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The utilities provider reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.13 by $0.09. American Water Works had a net margin of 22.44% and a return on equity of 10.29%. The company had revenue of $1.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.11 billion. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 5.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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.