American States Water Company vs McKesson Corporation — how do they compare? American States Water Company trades at $87.85 (market cap $3.47B), while McKesson Corporation trades at $878 (market cap $105.14B). The key difference: McKesson Corporation is far larger — about 30.3× 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 | MCK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $3.47B | $105.14B |
Sector | Utilities | Health |
52-Week High | $89.28 | $995.69 |
52-Week Low | $70.10 | $659.01 |
Enterprise Value | $4.37B | $111.67B |
Dividend Yield | 2.49% | 0.42% |
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.
McKesson (MCK) trades at $877.87, down 0.23% on the day, with strong technical momentum indicated by bullish moving averages and ADX signals. The company reported robust Q1 2027 results with EPS of $9.93 beating estimates by 20% year-over-year, driven by specialty drug growth and oncology performance. Revenue reached $105.4 billion, up 8%, prompting management to raise full-year adjusted EPS guidance. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with 24 buy ratings and a $990.67 price target, representing 13% upside potential.
MCK presents a compelling investment case with consistent earnings beats, raised guidance, and strong operational cash flow of $6.9 billion projected for 2026. Key risks include margin pressure from the low 1.12% net income margin, high accounts payable of $55.33 billion, and negative shareholder equity of -$2.07 billion. The stock's valuation at 24.19 P/E appears reasonable given growth prospects, but investors should monitor debt levels and pharmaceutical pricing dynamics.
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 →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 →