GWRS vs. AWK

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

GWRS (Global Water Resources, Inc.) 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, GWRS returned 2.23%/yr vs 7.01%/yr for AWK. At a 0.26 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

GWRS vs. AWK - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Global Water Resources, Inc. (GWRS) 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, GWRS achieves a -14.63% return, which is significantly lower than AWK's -3.90% return. Over the past 10 years, GWRS has underperformed AWK with an annualized return of 2.23%, while AWK has yielded a comparatively higher 7.01% annualized return.

GWRS

• 1D: -3.79%
• 1M: 0.22%
• YTD: -14.63%
• 6M: -13.97%
• 1Y: -26.56%
• 3Y*: -13.97%
• 5Y*: -14.19%
• 10Y*: 2.23%

AWK

• 1D: 2.11%
• 1M: -2.21%
• YTD: -3.90%
• 6M: -4.09%
• 1Y: -10.87%
• 3Y*: -3.05%
• 5Y*: -2.52%
• 10Y*: 7.01%

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

GWRS vs. AWK - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
GWRS Global Water Resources, Inc.	-14.63%	-24.33%	-9.94%	0.95%	-20.68%	20.65%	12.34%	33.21%	11.84%	5.74%
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.	-3.90%	7.40%	-3.53%	-11.68%	-17.89%	24.83%	26.88%	37.79%	1.32%	29.01%

Correlation

The correlation between GWRS and AWK is 0.28, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.28
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.30
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.30
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.26
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 29, 2016	0.26

Fundamentals

Market Cap GWRS : $204.18M AWK : $24.12B
EPS GWRS : $0.07 AWK : $5.65
PE Ratio GWRS : 98.38 AWK : 21.89
PS Ratio GWRS : 3.48 AWK : 4.63
PB Ratio GWRS : 2.42 AWK : 2.19
Total Revenue (TTM) GWRS : $56.59M AWK : $5.21B
Gross Profit (TTM) GWRS : $16.24M AWK : $2.27B
EBITDA (TTM) GWRS : $19.29M AWK : $2.48B

Return for Risk

GWRS vs. AWK — Risk / Return Rank

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

GWRS

GWRS Risk / Return Rank: 10
GWRS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9
GWRS Sortino Ratio Rank: 12
GWRS Omega Ratio Rank: 11
GWRS Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
GWRS Martin Ratio Rank: 7

AWK

AWK Risk / Return Rank: 15
AWK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 18
AWK Sortino Ratio Rank: 17
AWK Omega Ratio Rank: 19
AWK Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
AWK Martin Ratio Rank: 7

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.

GWRS vs. AWK - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Global Water Resources, Inc. (GWRS) 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.

	GWRS	AWK	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.79	-0.51	-0.28
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.94	-0.61	-0.33
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.87	0.93	-0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.72	-0.73	0.00
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.40	-1.39	-0.01
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GWRS vs. AWK - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GWRS Sharpe Ratio is -0.79, which is lower than the AWK Sharpe Ratio of -0.51. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GWRS 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.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	GWRS	AWK	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.79	-0.51	-0.28
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.44	-0.11	-0.33
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.07	0.30	-0.23
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.12	0.57	-0.45

Drawdowns

GWRS vs. AWK - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GWRS drawdown since its inception was -63.38%, which is greater than AWK's maximum drawdown of -37.10%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GWRS and AWK.

Drawdown Indicators

	GWRS	AWK	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-63.38%	-37.10%	-26.28%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-38.17%	-15.45%	-22.72%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-48.36%	-22.33%	-26.03%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-63.38%	-37.10%	-26.28%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-63.38%	-37.10%	-26.28%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-60.82%	-27.80%	-33.02%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-21.76%	-9.48%	-12.28%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	19.75%	8.05%	+11.70%

Volatility

GWRS vs. AWK - Volatility Comparison

Global Water Resources, Inc. (GWRS) has a higher volatility of 12.93% compared to American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) at 5.11%. This indicates that GWRS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AWK based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GWRS	AWK	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	12.93%	5.11%	+7.82%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	25.76%	15.23%	+10.53%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	33.86%	21.31%	+12.55%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	32.07%	22.87%	+9.20%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	33.68%	23.69%	+9.99%

Dividends

GWRS vs. AWK - Dividend Comparison

GWRS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.28%, more than AWK's 2.73% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AWK American Water Works Company, Inc.	2.73%	2.49%	2.41%	2.10%	1.68%	1.25%	1.40%	1.59%	1.96%	1.77%	2.02%	2.23%
GWRS Global Water Resources, Inc.	4.28%	3.60%	2.62%	2.28%	2.22%	1.71%	2.01%	2.18%	2.81%	2.94%	1.90%	0.00%

Financials

GWRS vs. AWK - Profitability Comparison

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

GWRS - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Global Water Resources, Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 13.29M. 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%.

GWRS - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Global Water Resources, Inc. reported an operating income of 389.00K and revenue of 13.29M, resulting in an operating margin of 2.9%.

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%.

GWRS - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Global Water Resources, Inc. reported a net income of -366.00K and revenue of 13.29M, resulting in a net margin of -2.8%.

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 GWRS and AWK in my portfolio?

GWRS and AWK have a correlation of 0.28, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, GWRS or AWK?

GWRS has higher volatility (12.93%) compared to AWK (5.11%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GWRS dropped -63.38% vs AWK's -37.10%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

AWK currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-0.51 vs -0.79), 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.