American Water Works Company Inc vs Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA — how do they compare? American Water Works Company Inc trades at $131.69 (market cap $25.69B), while Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA trades at $78.88 (market cap $153.45B). The key difference: Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA is far larger — about 6× American Water Works Company Inc's market cap, and American Water Works Company Inc pays the higher dividend (2.72%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AWK | BUD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $25.69B | $153.45B |
Sector | Utilities | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $147.00 | $85.09 |
52-Week Low | $121.13 | $57.10 |
Enterprise Value | $41.25B | $214.64B |
Dividend Yield | 2.72% | 1.7% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
American Water Works (AWK) trades at $131.53, up 0.64% with a bullish technical signal and strong fundamentals. The stock shows consistent revenue growth from $3.8B in 2022 to $5.14B in 2025, maintaining net margins above 21%. Recent earnings show mixed results with a Q3 2025 beat but Q1 2026 miss, while the company continues infrastructure investments and community initiatives.
AWK presents a stable utility investment with moderate upside to the $137 consensus target. Key risks include regulatory approvals for rate increases and high capital expenditures. Analyst sentiment is balanced with 47% buy ratings, though recent earnings misses warrant caution ahead of Q2 2026 results on July 29, 2026.
BUD trades at $79.33, down 0.35% with bearish technical signals. The company demonstrates solid fundamentals with consistent earnings beats, 11.9% net margin, and improving cash flow. Recent dividend payment of $1.17 and positive analyst sentiment with 57.8% buy ratings support the investment case. Premiumization strategy and digital expansion drive growth amid changing consumer preferences.
Outlook remains positive with $90.08 consensus price target offering 13.5% upside. Key risks include alcohol moderation trends and competitive pressures. Strong balance sheet with declining debt-to-asset ratio to 33.9% provides financial stability. Revenue growth expected to accelerate to $61B in 2026 with expanding margins.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
American Water Works is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility, serving approximately 3.5 million customers in 16 states. It provides water and wastewater services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers and operates predominantly in regulated markets. The company's only nonregulated business is water services for military bases, which operates under long-term contracts.
Read more on AWK →Anheuser-Busch InBev is the largest brewer in the world and one of the world's top five consumer product companies, as measured by EBITDA. After the SABMiller acquisition, the company's portfolio now contains five of the top 10 beer brands by sales and 18 brands with retail sales over $1 billion. AB InBev was created by the 2008 merger of Belgium-based InBev and U.S.-based Anheuser-Busch. The firm holds a 62% economic interest in Ambev and in 2016 acquired SABMiller.
Read more on BUD →