BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. Has $76.71 Million Stock Holdings in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK)

BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. reduced its position in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) by 10.5% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 524,547 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 61,819 shares during the quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A.’s holdings in American Water Works were worth $76,710,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new position in American Water Works during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of American Water Works by 155.6% in the third 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 stake in American Water Works in the second quarter valued at approximately $46,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. bought a new position in American Water Works during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in American Water Works during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $51,000. Institutional investors own 86.58% of the company’s stock.

American Water Works Stock Performance

Shares of AWK stock opened at $138.70 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $140.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $137.64. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 12 month low of $113.34 and a 12 month high of $150.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.03 billion, a PE ratio of 27.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.70.

American Water Works Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 12th will be given a $0.765 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $3.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.21%. American Water Works’s payout ratio is 60.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Water Works

In other news, Director Martha Clark Goss sold 710 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.85, for a total value of $101,423.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 36,880 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,268,308. This 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 through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on AWK shares. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Monday, October 7th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $124.00 price target on the stock. Wolfe Research upgraded American Water Works to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Mizuho downgraded American Water Works from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $131.00 to $140.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Bank of America restated an “underperform” rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of American Water Works in a report on Friday, September 20th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of American Water Works from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $151.00 to $155.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, American Water Works currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $142.29.

American Water Works Company Profile

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.