Ingalls & Snyder LLC lowered its position in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK – Get Rating) by 1.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 20,819 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 384 shares during the quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC's holdings in American Water Works were worth $3,446,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AWK. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA acquired a new position in American Water Works during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. First PREMIER Bank bought a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the first quarter worth $25,000. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Quent Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Dixon Hughes Goodman Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Water Works during the first quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.77% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AWK shares. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of American Water Works from $149.00 to $159.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 2nd. Northcoast Research initiated coverage on shares of American Water Works in a report on Monday, July 18th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Barclays cut their price target on shares of American Water Works from $172.00 to $157.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 18th. Janney Montgomery Scott upgraded shares of American Water Works from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of American Water Works from $139.00 to $152.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 18th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $168.00.

American Water Works Stock Performance

American Water Works (NYSE:AWK – Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 27th. The utilities provider reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.05. American Water Works had a net margin of 33.99% and a return on equity of 11.06%. The business had revenue of $937.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $979.52 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.14 earnings per share. American Water Works's revenue for the quarter was down 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 4.45 EPS for the current year.

American Water Works Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 9th will be given a dividend of $0.655 per share. This represents a $2.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 8th. American Water Works's dividend payout ratio is 36.64%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Melanie M. Kennedy sold 693 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.10, for a total transaction of $105,405.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 11,361 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,728,008.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Melanie M. Kennedy sold 693 shares of American Water Works stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.10, for a total transaction of $105,405.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 11,361 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,728,008.10. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Melanie M. Kennedy sold 1,029 shares of American Water Works stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.52, for a total transaction of $149,740.08. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 12,054 shares in the company, valued at $1,754,098.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About American Water Works

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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 3.4 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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