American Water Works Company Inc vs Costco Wholesale Corporation — how do they compare? American Water Works Company Inc trades at $135.3 (market cap $26.92B), while Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $943.5 (market cap $422.52B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 15.7× American Water Works Company Inc's market cap, and American Water Works Company Inc pays the higher dividend (2.64%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AWK | COST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $26.92B | $422.52B |
Sector | Utilities | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $146.20 | $1.09K |
52-Week Low | $121.13 | $849.63 |
Enterprise Value | $42.78B | $410.66B |
Dividend Yield | 2.64% | 0.62% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
AWK trades at $135.31, up 0.36% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and neutral oscillators. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $1.61, beating estimates, while Q1 and Q4 2025 missed. Revenue grew to $5.14B in 2025 with a 21.35% net margin. Analyst consensus is mixed with 14 Buy, 14 Hold, and 2 Sell ratings, targeting $139.83. Recent news highlights operational excellence awards and customer base expansion through acquisitions.
Outlook remains stable with consistent dividend payments and guided EPS growth. Risks include rising debt levels and regulatory pressures. The stock offers steady income and moderate growth potential, but investors should monitor execution on earnings targets and capital expenditure efficiency.
Costco (COST) trades at $944.32, down 0.37% on the day, with strong fundamental performance including 11.3% March sales growth and consistent earnings beats in recent quarters. The stock shows neutral technical signals with key support at $933 and resistance at $949, while maintaining robust revenue growth and expanding profit margins. Recent membership fee increases and strong renewal rates support the company's profit engine.
The outlook remains positive with analyst consensus at Buy (65.5%) and $1,120 price target, though elevated P/E of 47.9x presents valuation risk. Key catalysts include continued warehouse expansion and digital growth, while risks include competitive pressures and potential consumer spending slowdown.
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 →The leading warehouse club, Costco has 815 stores worldwide (at the end of fiscal 2021), with most sales derived in the United States (72%) and Canada (14%). It sells memberships that allow customers to shop in its warehouses, which feature low prices on a limited product assortment. Costco mainly caters to individual shoppers, but roughly 20% of paid members carry business memberships. Food and sundries accounted for 40% of fiscal 2021 sales, with non-food merchandise 29%, warehouse ancillary and other businesses (such as fuel and pharmacy) nearly 17%, and fresh food 14%. Costco's warehouses average around 146,000 square feet
Read more on COST →