American Water Works Company Inc vs Yum China Holdings Inc — how do they compare? American Water Works Company Inc trades at $131.69 (market cap $25.69B), while Yum China Holdings Inc trades at $43.46 (market cap $14.89B). The key difference: American Water Works Company Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and American Water Works Company Inc pays the higher dividend (2.72%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AWK | YUMC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $25.69B | $14.89B |
Sector | Utilities | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $147.00 | $57.95 |
52-Week Low | $121.13 | $40.18 |
Enterprise Value | $41.25B | $15.78B |
Dividend Yield | 2.72% | 2.68% |
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.
YUMC trades at $43.9, up 2.05% today, with strong analyst consensus (14 Buy, 5 Hold, 0 Sell). The stock shows bullish technical signals from moving averages, though RSI levels indicate potential overbought conditions. Recent earnings beats and a P/E of 16.82 suggest reasonable valuation. Key developments include the acquisition of Pizza Hut in mainland China and a $1.5 billion capital return plan for 2026, enhancing shareholder value.
The outlook remains positive given consistent revenue growth, expanding profitability, and strategic acquisitions. Risks include execution challenges in integrating Pizza Hut and macroeconomic pressures in China. With robust cash flows and a clear growth trajectory, YUMC presents a compelling opportunity for long-term investors, though near-term volatility may persist.
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 almost 10,600 units and USD 9.5 billion in systemwide sales in 2020, Yum China is the largest restaurant chain in China. It generates revenue through its own restaurants and franchise fees. Key concepts include KFC (7,166 units) and Pizza Hut (2,355), but the company's portfolio also includes other brands such as Little Sheep, East Dawning, Taco Bell, Huang Ji Huang, COFFii & Joy, and Lavazza (collectively representing about 985 units). Yum China is a trademark licensee of Yum Brands, paying 3% of total systemwide sales to the company it separated from in October 2016.
Read more on YUMC →