American Water Works Company Inc vs Target Corporation — how do they compare? American Water Works Company Inc trades at $136.06 (market cap $26.92B), while Target Corporation trades at $151.63 (market cap $69.05B). The key difference: Target Corporation is far larger — about 2.6× American Water Works Company Inc's market cap, and Target Corporation pays the higher dividend (3.05%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AWK | TGT | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $26.92B | $69.05B |
Sector | Utilities | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $146.20 | $152.09 |
52-Week Low | $121.13 | $83.68 |
Enterprise Value | $42.78B | $84.34B |
Dividend Yield | 2.64% | 3.05% |
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.
Target (TGT) trades at $149.70, up 1.77% today and near its 52-week high of $151.23, with a bullish technical trend and strong recent earnings beats. The stock shows solid fundamentals with a P/E of 19.78 and net income margin of 3.24%, supported by positive cash flow trends. Recent analyst upgrades and media coverage highlight optimism around the retailer's turnaround and upcoming Q2 results.
The outlook for TGT is positive, driven by consistent earnings outperformance and improving cash flow, though risks include competitive retail pressures and potential margin compression. With a consensus price target of $146.19 and bullish analyst sentiment, the stock offers upside potential, but investors should monitor consumer spending trends and quarterly execution.
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 →With 1,926 stores (as of the end of fiscal 2021), Target is a leading American general merchandise retailer, offering a variety of products across several categories, including beauty and household essentials (26% of fiscal 2021 sales), food and beverage (19%), home furnishings and décor (19%), hardlines (18%), and apparel and accessories (17%). Most of Target's stores are large, averaging more than 125,000 square feet. The company has a significant e-commerce presence, deriving around 19% of sales from the channel (up from about 9% in fiscal 2019, before the pandemic). In addition to its namesake stores, Target owns Shipt, an online same-day delivery platform. After it exited Canada in 2015, virtually all of Target's revenue is generated from the United States.
Read more on TGT →