Nicola Wealth Management LTD. Sells 6,500 Shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK)

Nicola Wealth Management LTD. cut its holdings in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK - Free Report) by 34.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,500 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 6,500 shares during the quarter. Nicola Wealth Management LTD.'s holdings in American Water Works were worth $1,828,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. ORG Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of American Water Works by 155.6% during the third quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 299 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in American Water Works in the third quarter valued at $51,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of American Water Works in the second quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in American Water Works by 31.7% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 370 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. 86.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wolfe Research upgraded American Water Works to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded American Water Works from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $127.00 to $138.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Monday, October 7th. They issued an "underperform" rating and a $124.00 target price for the company. Bank of America reiterated an "underperform" rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of American Water Works in a research note on Friday, September 20th. Finally, Mizuho downgraded American Water Works from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and increased their price target for the company from $131.00 to $140.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $140.00.

Insider Transactions at American Water Works

In related 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 value of $101,423.50. Following 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.08% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

American Water Works Stock Performance

AWK traded down $0.33 during trading on Thursday, reaching $132.11. 980,559 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,196,193. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $141.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $137.25. The company has a market capitalization of $25.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.23, a PEG ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.70. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $113.34 and a fifty-two week high of $150.68.

American Water Works Dividend Announcement

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 given a dividend of $0.765 per share. This represents a $3.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 12th. American Water Works's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 60.59%.

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.