American Water Works Company Inc vs UnitedHealth Group Inc — how do they compare? American Water Works Company Inc trades at $136.06 (market cap $26.92B), while UnitedHealth Group Inc trades at $402.23 (market cap $371.19B). The key difference: UnitedHealth Group Inc is far larger — about 13.8× 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 | UNH | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $26.92B | $371.19B |
Sector | Utilities | Health |
52-Week High | $146.20 | $436.35 |
52-Week Low | $121.13 | $252.37 |
Enterprise Value | $42.78B | $417.88B |
Dividend Yield | 2.64% | 2.27% |
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.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) trades at $402.19, down 1.2% in the last session, with a bearish technical signal but strong analyst support. The company reported revenue of $447.57B in 2025, with net income of $12.06B, and has consistently beaten EPS estimates in recent quarters. Recent news highlights strategic moves to reduce pediatric prior authorizations and ongoing shareholder returns via dividends and buybacks.
Outlook remains positive due to aging demographics and Medicare growth, though regulatory risks and margin pressure present challenges. With 82.7% of analysts rating it a Buy and a consensus price target of $476.50, the stock offers upside potential, balanced by litigation and competitive threats in the managed care sector.
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 →UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest private health insurers, providing medical benefits to 50 million members globally, including 5 million outside the U.S. at the end of 2021. As a leader in employer-sponsored, self-directed, and government-backed insurance plans, UnitedHealth has obtained massive scale in managed care. Along with its insurance assets, UnitedHealth's continued investments in its Optum franchises have created a healthcare services colossus that spans everything from medical and pharmaceutical benefits to providing outpatient care and analytics to both affiliated and third-party customers.
Read more on UNH →