American Water Works Company Inc vs McKesson Corporation — how do they compare? American Water Works Company Inc trades at $131.69 (market cap $25.69B), while McKesson Corporation trades at $811.74 (market cap $94.06B). The key difference: McKesson Corporation is far larger — about 3.7× 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 | MCK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $25.69B | $94.06B |
Sector | Utilities | Health |
52-Week High | $147.00 | $995.69 |
52-Week Low | $121.13 | $659.01 |
Enterprise Value | $41.25B | $98.70B |
Dividend Yield | 2.72% | 0.41% |
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.
McKesson (MCK) trades at $812.28, up 0.78% with a bullish technical signal. The stock shows consistent earnings beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $11.69 exceeding expectations. Revenue grew to $359.05B in 2025, though net margins remain thin at 1.18%. Analysts maintain strong buy consensus (80%) with a $932.83 price target. Recent news highlights growth in specialty pharma and oncology services, supporting positive momentum.
Outlook remains positive driven by earnings strength and sector tailwinds, but risks include policy changes and high liabilities. The stock offers value with a P/E of 21.16 and P/S of 0.25, though investors should monitor debt levels and execution risks amid competitive pressures.
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 →McKesson is a leading wholesaler of branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospitals networks, and healthcare providers. Along with AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health, the three account for well over 90% of the U.S. pharmaceutical wholesale industry. McKesson is currently divesting from its pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution in Europe and Canada in order to redeploy capital to strategic growth areas in the U.S. (oncology network and ecosystem, and biopharma services). Additionally, the company supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities and provides a variety of technology solutions for pharmacies.
Read more on MCK →