AWK vs. WM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) and Waste Management, Inc. (WM).

Performance

AWK vs. WM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) and Waste Management, Inc. (WM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AWK vs. WM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.	4.99%	7.40%	-3.53%	-11.68%	-17.89%	24.83%	26.88%	37.79%	1.32%	29.01%
WM Waste Management, Inc.	5.00%	10.50%	14.28%	16.20%	-4.49%	43.82%	5.46%	30.45%	5.32%	24.46%

Fundamentals

Market Cap AWK : $26.54B WM : $92.95B
EPS AWK : $5.70 WM : $6.70
PE Ratio AWK : 23.89 WM : 34.31
PS Ratio AWK : 5.16 WM : 3.69
PB Ratio AWK : 2.45 WM : 9.30
Total Revenue (TTM) AWK : $5.14B WM : $25.20B
Gross Profit (TTM) AWK : $3.12B WM : $7.33B
EBITDA (TTM) AWK : $1.70B WM : $7.27B

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with AWK having a 4.99% return and WM slightly higher at 5.00%. Over the past 10 years, AWK has underperformed WM with an annualized return of 9.05%, while WM has yielded a comparatively higher 16.64% annualized return.

AWK

• 1D: -1.97%
• 1M: 0.04%
• YTD: 4.99%
• 6M: -0.93%
• 1Y: -5.43%
• 3Y*: -0.15%
• 5Y*: 0.00%
• 10Y*: 9.05%

WM

• 1D: -0.07%
• 1M: -4.21%
• YTD: 5.00%
• 6M: 4.88%
• 1Y: 0.76%
• 3Y*: 13.82%
• 5Y*: 13.95%
• 10Y*: 16.64%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

AWK vs. WM — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AWK

AWK Risk / Return Rank: 31
AWK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 31
AWK Sortino Ratio Rank: 26
AWK Omega Ratio Rank: 27
AWK Calmar Ratio Rank: 34
AWK Martin Ratio Rank: 34

WM

WM Risk / Return Rank: 41
WM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 43
WM Sortino Ratio Rank: 35
WM Omega Ratio Rank: 35
WM Calmar Ratio Rank: 46
WM Martin Ratio Rank: 46

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AWK vs. WM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) and Waste Management, Inc. (WM). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	AWK	WM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.24	0.04	-0.28
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.18	0.18	-0.36
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.98	1.02	-0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.26	0.13	-0.39
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.50	0.31	-0.82
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AWK vs. WM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AWK Sharpe Ratio is -0.24, which is lower than the WM Sharpe Ratio of 0.04. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AWK and WM, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AWK	WM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.24	0.04	-0.28
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.00	0.77	-0.77
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.38	0.86	-0.48
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.60	0.37	+0.23

Correlation

The correlation between AWK and WM is 0.41, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

AWK vs. WM - Dividend Comparison

AWK's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.43%, more than WM's 1.49% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.	2.43%	2.49%	2.41%	2.10%	1.68%	1.25%	1.40%	1.59%	1.96%	1.77%	2.02%	2.23%
WM Waste Management, Inc.	1.49%	1.50%	1.49%	1.56%	1.66%	1.38%	1.85%	1.80%	2.09%	1.97%	2.31%	2.89%

Drawdowns

AWK vs. WM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AWK drawdown since its inception was -37.10%, smaller than the maximum WM drawdown of -77.85%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AWK and WM.

Drawdown Indicators

	AWK	WM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-37.10%	-77.85%	+40.75%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-17.61%	-18.14%	+0.53%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.10%	-18.14%	-18.96%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.10%	-30.07%	-7.03%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-21.12%	-6.41%	-14.71%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.33%	-17.74%	+8.41%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	9.14%	7.53%	+1.61%

Volatility

AWK vs. WM - Volatility Comparison

American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) has a higher volatility of 7.00% compared to Waste Management, Inc. (WM) at 5.94%. This indicates that AWK's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than WM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AWK	WM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.00%	5.94%	+1.06%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.48%	13.99%	+2.49%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.10%	19.06%	+4.04%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.77%	18.30%	+4.47%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.65%	19.38%	+4.27%

Financials

AWK vs. WM - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between American Water Works Company, Inc. and Waste Management, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

AWK - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, American Water Works Company, Inc. reported a gross profit of 723.00M and revenue of 1.27B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 56.9%.

WM - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Waste Management, Inc. reported a gross profit of 1.85B and revenue of 6.31B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 29.3%.

AWK - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, American Water Works Company, Inc. reported an operating income of 405.00M and revenue of 1.27B, resulting in an operating margin of 31.9%.

WM - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Waste Management, Inc. reported an operating income of 1.18B and revenue of 6.31B, resulting in an operating margin of 18.6%.

AWK - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, American Water Works Company, Inc. reported a net income of 238.00M and revenue of 1.27B, resulting in a net margin of 18.7%.

WM - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Waste Management, Inc. reported a net income of 742.00M and revenue of 6.31B, resulting in a net margin of 11.8%.