American States Water Company vs Booking Holdings Inc — how do they compare? American States Water Company trades at $87.85 (market cap $3.47B), while Booking Holdings Inc trades at $212.26 (market cap $159.95B). The key difference: Booking Holdings Inc is far larger — about 46.1× American States Water Company's market cap, and American States Water Company pays the higher dividend (2.49%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AWR | BKNG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $3.47B | $159.95B |
Sector | Utilities | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $89.28 | $228.83 |
52-Week Low | $70.10 | $154.13 |
Enterprise Value | $4.37B | $163.43B |
Dividend Yield | 2.49% | 0.79% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
AWR trades at $87.95, up 1.59% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The company reported a Q2 2026 EPS beat of $1.09 versus $0.915 expected, driven by water rate increases and revenue growth. Recent news highlights its 71-year dividend growth streak and an 8.2% dividend hike announced in July 2026. Financials show solid profitability with a 20.52% net income margin and ROE of 13.62%, though valuation ratios like P/E of 23.92 are above sector averages.
Outlook is mixed: strong dividend history and earnings growth support income investors, but elevated valuation and mixed analyst consensus (20% buy, 50% hold, 30% sell) suggest limited near-term upside. Key risks include regulatory dependence on rate approvals and potential overvaluation relative to peers.
BKNG trades at $212.26, down 0.29% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong support at $212. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $2.54, beating estimates, and revenue growth remains robust, though net income margin dipped to 20.07% in 2025. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with a $239.31 price target, and recent news highlights resilient travel demand and AI integration efforts.
The outlook for BKNG is positive, driven by earnings beats and solid cash flow, but risks include geopolitical volatility and high debt levels. Upside potential exists if travel demand sustains and margins improve, yet investors face headwinds from competitive pressures and economic sensitivity.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
American States Water provides water and electric services to over one million people in the U.S. It also manages water and wastewater systems for various military bases under long-term privatization contracts.
Read more on AWR →Booking is the world's largest online travel agency by revenue, offering booking and payment services for hotel and alternative accommodation rooms, airline tickets, rental cars, restaurant reservations, cruises, experiences, and other vacation packages. The company operates a number of branded travel booking sites, including Booking.com, Agoda, OpenTable, and Rentalcars.com, and has expanded into travel media with the acquisitions of Kayak and Momondo. Transaction fees for online bookings account for the bulk of revenue and profits.
Read more on BKNG →