American Water Works Company Inc vs Core and Main Inc — how do they compare? American Water Works Company Inc trades at $131.69 (market cap $25.69B), while Core and Main Inc trades at $44.79 (market cap $8.46B). The key difference: American Water Works Company Inc is far larger — about 3× Core and Main Inc's market cap, and American Water Works Company Inc pays a 2.72% dividend while Core and Main Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AWK | CNM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $25.69B | $8.46B |
Sector | Utilities | Technology |
52-Week High | $147.00 | $66.98 |
52-Week Low | $121.13 | $44.29 |
Enterprise Value | $41.25B | $10.76B |
Dividend Yield | 2.72% | — |
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.
Core & Main (CNM) trades at $44.74, down 2.44% today, amid bearish technical signals but strong fundamentals. The stock shows consistent earnings beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $0.72 exceeding expectations, and maintains solid profitability with a 23.73% ROE. Recent news highlights municipal strength and margin gains, though residential segments face weakness. Cash flow trends improved in 2026 projections, with net cash flow rising to $142M from $7M in 2025.
The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus leans bullish with 57% buy ratings, but technical indicators signal near-term pressure. Key risks include industry headwinds like high operating costs and residential market softness. Investors should weigh strong fundamentals against current bearish momentum for entry timing.
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 →Core & Main is a leading US distributor of water, wastewater, storm drainage, and fire protection products. It provides essential infrastructure solutions to municipalities, private water companies, and contractors.
Read more on CNM →