The short version

From the latest prices and each company's SEC filings. Who's ahead on each measure, not which to buy.

  • American Water Works is the larger company, worth $24.6B, about 7.8 times American States Water.
  • American States Water grew revenue faster over the last year (+11.2% vs +6.2%).
  • American Water Works keeps more of each dollar of revenue as operating profit (36.9% vs 31.9%).
  • On earnings, American Water Works is the cheaper stock (22.3x vs 23.4x).

Side by side

The stronger figure is shaded where higher (or, for valuation multiples, lower) reads as better. How the implied growth works.

MeasureAWKAWR
Market cap$24.6B$3.1B
Share price$128.88$82.26
Revenue (last fiscal year)$5.1B$137M
Free cash flow (last fiscal year)-$1.1B-$7M
Revenue growth, last year+6.2%+11.2%
Revenue growth per year, last 5 fiscal years+6.9%+4.8%
Operating margin36.9%31.9%
Net margin21.4%20.5%
Return on equity9.7%12.8%
P/E (trailing)22.3x23.4x
Price / free cash flow——
EV / EBITDA13.3x14.2x
FCF growth the price implies——
Dividend yield2.6%2.4%
Debt / equity2.12x1.47x
Fundamental gradeDC
Superinvestors holding it52
Insider purchases, last 12 months20

Results from SEC filings

Revenue and free cash flow by fiscal year, from each company's 10-K filings.

American Water Works

YearRevenueFree cash flowOp. margin
2021$3.9B-$323M30.4%
2022$3.8B-$1.2B33.6%
2023$4.2B-$701M35.5%
2024$4.7B-$811M36.7%
2025$5.1B-$1.1B36.6%

American States Water

YearRevenueFree cash flowOp. margin
2021$113M-$29M124.3%
2022$111M-$48M114.1%
2023$120M-$121M163.4%
2024$126M-$33M145.9%
2025$137M-$7M148.7%
Compare them in fullFifteen years of statements, quarterly results, DCF and IRR models, and any number of peers side by side.
Open AWK in Investingly

Questions

Which is bigger, American Water Works or American States Water?

American Water Works (AWK), at $24.6B against $3.1B.

Is AWK or AWR cheaper?

By trailing P/E, American Water Works (22.3x) is cheaper than American States Water (23.4x). A lower multiple can also mean the market expects less growth.

Which grows faster, AWK or AWR?

American States Water: revenue grew +11.2% over the last year, against +6.2%.

Prices and ratios as of the last daily update; statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.