AWK vs. WTRG

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) and Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG).

Performance

AWK vs. WTRG - Performance Comparison

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

AWK vs. WTRG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.	5.53%	7.40%	-3.53%	-11.68%	-17.89%	24.83%	26.88%	37.79%	1.32%	29.01%
WTRG Essential Utilities, Inc.	6.92%	9.40%	0.52%	-19.40%	-8.94%	16.05%	2.92%	40.43%	-10.66%	33.77%

Fundamentals

Market Cap AWK : $26.67B WTRG : $11.53B
EPS AWK : $5.70 WTRG : $2.18
PE Ratio AWK : 24.01 WTRG : 18.61
PS Ratio AWK : 5.19 WTRG : 4.63
PB Ratio AWK : 2.46 WTRG : 1.68
Total Revenue (TTM) AWK : $5.14B WTRG : $2.47B
Gross Profit (TTM) AWK : $3.12B WTRG : $1.07B
EBITDA (TTM) AWK : $1.70B WTRG : $1.25B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AWK achieves a 5.53% return, which is significantly lower than WTRG's 6.92% return. Over the past 10 years, AWK has outperformed WTRG with an annualized return of 9.11%, while WTRG has yielded a comparatively lower 5.18% annualized return.

AWK

• 1D: 0.51%
• 1M: 1.00%
• YTD: 5.53%
• 6M: 1.86%
• 1Y: -4.61%
• 3Y*: 0.02%
• 5Y*: 0.11%
• 10Y*: 9.11%

WTRG

• 1D: 0.92%
• 1M: 1.22%
• YTD: 6.92%
• 6M: 6.58%
• 1Y: 6.43%
• 3Y*: 0.99%
• 5Y*: 1.05%
• 10Y*: 5.18%

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

Return for Risk

AWK vs. WTRG — Risk / Return Rank

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

AWK

AWK Risk / Return Rank: 29
AWK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 31
AWK Sortino Ratio Rank: 26
AWK Omega Ratio Rank: 26
AWK Calmar Ratio Rank: 32
AWK Martin Ratio Rank: 32

WTRG

WTRG Risk / Return Rank: 49
WTRG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 51
WTRG Sortino Ratio Rank: 43
WTRG Omega Ratio Rank: 41
WTRG Calmar Ratio Rank: 55
WTRG Martin Ratio Rank: 52

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. WTRG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) and Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG). 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	WTRG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.20	0.30	-0.50
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.13	0.57	-0.70
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.99	1.07	-0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.28	0.61	-0.89
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.54	1.05	-1.59
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. WTRG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AWK Sharpe Ratio is -0.20, which is lower than the WTRG Sharpe Ratio of 0.30. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AWK and WTRG, 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	WTRG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.20	0.30	-0.50
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.00	0.05	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.39	0.21	+0.18
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.60	0.48	+0.12

Correlation

The correlation between AWK and WTRG is 0.73, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

AWK vs. WTRG - Dividend Comparison

AWK's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.42%, less than WTRG's 3.33% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.	2.42%	2.49%	2.41%	2.10%	1.68%	1.25%	1.40%	1.59%	1.96%	1.77%	2.02%	2.23%
WTRG Essential Utilities, Inc.	3.33%	3.48%	3.48%	3.18%	2.33%	1.93%	2.05%	1.93%	2.48%	2.02%	2.46%	2.30%

Drawdowns

AWK vs. WTRG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AWK drawdown since its inception was -37.10%, smaller than the maximum WTRG drawdown of -47.95%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AWK and WTRG.

Drawdown Indicators

	AWK	WTRG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-37.10%	-47.95%	+10.85%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-17.61%	-10.60%	-7.01%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.10%	-36.53%	-0.57%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.10%	-39.62%	+2.52%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-20.71%	-13.70%	-7.01%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.34%	-12.12%	+2.78%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	9.15%	6.20%	+2.95%

Volatility

AWK vs. WTRG - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) is 7.02%, while Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) has a volatility of 7.53%. This indicates that AWK experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than WTRG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AWK	WTRG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.02%	7.53%	-0.51%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.42%	16.01%	+0.41%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.09%	21.76%	+1.33%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.77%	22.21%	+0.56%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.65%	24.81%	-1.16%

Financials

AWK vs. WTRG - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between American Water Works Company, Inc. and Essential Utilities, 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%.

WTRG - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Essential Utilities, Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 699.11M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

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%.

WTRG - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Essential Utilities, Inc. reported an operating income of 227.00M and revenue of 699.11M, resulting in an operating margin of 32.5%.

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%.

WTRG - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Essential Utilities, Inc. reported a net income of 132.68M and revenue of 699.11M, resulting in a net margin of 19.0%.