American Water Works Company Inc vs Linde PLC — how do they compare? American Water Works Company Inc trades at $135.3 (market cap $26.92B), while Linde PLC trades at $490.26 (market cap $227.01B). The key difference: Linde PLC is far larger — about 8.4× 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 | LIN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $26.92B | $227.01B |
Sector | Utilities | Basic Materials |
52-Week High | $146.20 | $546.64 |
52-Week Low | $121.13 | $389.38 |
Enterprise Value | $42.78B | $250.13B |
Dividend Yield | 2.64% | 1.3% |
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.
Linde (LIN) trades at $489.98, showing minimal daily change. The stock exhibits strong fundamentals with consistent earnings beats, a 20.43% net income margin, and robust cash flow. However, technical indicators signal a bearish short-term trend, with the price near the pivot point of $490. Recent news highlights sustainability leadership and Q1 2026 EPS growth of 10% year-over-year, though a DCF analysis from GuruFocus on June 1, 2026, suggested potential overvaluation at a $327 fair value.
The investment outlook is supported by solid profitability and a bullish analyst consensus with a $553.60 price target, but risks include elevated valuation multiples and increasing debt-to-asset ratios. The stock's near-term direction may hinge on Q3 2026 earnings versus the $4.53 estimate, with technical resistance at $493 posing a challenge to upside momentum.
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 →Linde is the largest industrial gas supplier in the world, with operations in over 100 countries. The firm's main products are atmospheric gases (including oxygen, nitrogen, and argon) and process gases (including hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and helium), as well as equipment used in industrial gas production. Linde serves a wide variety of end markets, including chemicals, manufacturing, healthcare, and steelmaking. Linde generated approximately $31 billion in revenue and $5 billion in GAAP operating profit in 2021.
Read more on LIN →