AWR vs. AWK

Last updated Jun 23, 2026

AWR (American States Water Company) and AWK (American Water Works Company, Inc.) are both stocks. Both operate in the Utilities - Regulated Water industry within the Utilities sector. Over the past 10 years, AWR returned 8.43%/yr vs 6.64%/yr for AWK. A 0.61 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.

Performance

AWR vs. AWK - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AWR achieves a 8.62% return, which is significantly higher than AWK's -2.94% return. Over the past 10 years, AWR has outperformed AWK with an annualized return of 8.43%, while AWK has yielded a comparatively lower 6.64% annualized return.

AWR

• 1D: 0.71%
• 1M: 1.33%
• YTD: 8.62%
• 6M: 6.85%
• 1Y: 2.61%
• 3Y*: -0.47%
• 5Y*: 1.66%
• 10Y*: 8.43%

AWK

• 1D: -0.12%
• 1M: -0.22%
• YTD: -2.94%
• 6M: -3.80%
• 1Y: -9.23%
• 3Y*: -2.72%
• 5Y*: -2.37%
• 10Y*: 6.64%

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

AWR vs. AWK - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AWR American States Water Company	8.62%	-4.32%	-1.18%	-11.43%	-8.92%	32.25%	-6.75%	31.19%	17.91%	29.76%
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.	-2.94%	7.40%	-3.53%	-11.68%	-17.89%	24.83%	26.88%	37.79%	1.32%	29.01%

Correlation

The correlation between AWR and AWK is 0.70, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.70
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.71
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.74
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.69
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 23, 2008	0.61

The correlation between AWR and AWK shifts across timeframes, from 0.61 (all time) to 0.74 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap AWR : $3.05B AWK : $24.36B
EPS AWR : $3.44 AWK : $5.65
PE Ratio AWR : 22.57 AWK : 22.10
PS Ratio AWR : 4.44 AWK : 4.68
PB Ratio AWR : 2.86 AWK : 2.21
Total Revenue (TTM) AWR : $679.25M AWK : $5.21B
Gross Profit (TTM) AWR : $303.17M AWK : $2.27B
EBITDA (TTM) AWR : $233.31M AWK : $2.48B

Return for Risk

AWR vs. AWK — Risk / Return Rank

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

AWR

AWR Risk / Return Rank: 44
AWR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
AWR Sortino Ratio Rank: 39
AWR Omega Ratio Rank: 38
AWR Calmar Ratio Rank: 48
AWR Martin Ratio Rank: 46

AWK

AWK Risk / Return Rank: 21
AWK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 23
AWK Sortino Ratio Rank: 20
AWK Omega Ratio Rank: 22
AWK Calmar Ratio Rank: 20
AWK Martin Ratio Rank: 18

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.

AWR vs. AWK - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for American States Water Company (AWR) and American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	AWR	AWK	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.13	-0.43	+0.55
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.33	-0.48	+0.81
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.04	0.95	+0.09
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.23	-0.60	+0.83
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	0.41	-1.08	+1.49

AWR vs. AWK - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AWR Sharpe Ratio is 0.13, which is higher than the AWK Sharpe Ratio of -0.43. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AWR and AWK, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

AWR vs. AWK - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AWR drawdown since its inception was -37.39%, roughly equal to the maximum AWK drawdown of -37.10%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AWR and AWK.

Drawdown Indicators

	AWR	AWK	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-37.39%	-37.10%	-0.29%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.55%	-15.45%	+3.90%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-24.74%	-22.24%	-2.50%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-32.85%	-37.10%	+4.25%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.85%	-37.10%	+4.25%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-17.16%	-27.07%	+9.91%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.81%	-9.53%	-1.28%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.44%	8.55%	-2.11%

Volatility

AWR vs. AWK - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for American States Water Company (AWR) is 5.81%, while American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) has a volatility of 6.43%. This indicates that AWR experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than AWK based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AWR	AWK	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.81%	6.43%	-0.62%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.35%	15.69%	-0.34%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.40%	21.79%	-1.39%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.65%	22.87%	-0.22%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.18%	23.74%	+2.44%

Dividends

AWR vs. AWK - Dividend Comparison

AWR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.60%, less than AWK's 2.70% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.	2.70%	2.49%	2.41%	2.10%	1.68%	1.25%	1.40%	1.59%	1.96%	1.77%	2.02%	2.23%
AWR American States Water Company	2.60%	2.68%	2.30%	2.06%	1.65%	1.35%	1.61%	1.34%	1.58%	1.72%	2.01%	2.08%

Financials

AWR vs. AWK - Profitability Comparison

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

AWR - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, American States Water Company reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 169.19M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

AWK - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, American Water Works Company, Inc. reported a gross profit of 714.00M and revenue of 1.21B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 59.2%.

AWR - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, American States Water Company reported an operating income of 51.37M and revenue of 169.19M, resulting in an operating margin of 30.4%.

AWK - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, American Water Works Company, Inc. reported an operating income of 391.00M and revenue of 1.21B, resulting in an operating margin of 32.4%.

AWR - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, American States Water Company reported a net income of 29.95M and revenue of 169.19M, resulting in a net margin of 17.7%.

AWK - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, American Water Works Company, Inc. reported a net income of 196.00M and revenue of 1.21B, resulting in a net margin of 16.2%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both AWR and AWK in my portfolio?

AWR and AWK have a correlation of 0.70, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, AWR or AWK?

AWK has higher volatility (6.43%) compared to AWR (5.81%). In terms of maximum drawdown, AWR dropped -37.39% vs AWK's -37.10%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

AWR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.13 vs -0.43), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.