American States Water Company vs Moody's Corporation — how do they compare? American States Water Company trades at $87.85 (market cap $3.49B), while Moody's Corporation trades at $481.64 (market cap $82.75B). The key difference: Moody's Corporation is far larger — about 23.7× American States Water Company's market cap, and American States Water Company pays the higher dividend (2.48%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AWR | MCO | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $3.49B | $82.75B |
Sector | Utilities | Financials |
52-Week High | $89.28 | $539.61 |
52-Week Low | $70.10 | $412.23 |
Enterprise Value | $4.38B | $88.78B |
Dividend Yield | 2.48% | 0.86% |
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.
MCO trades at $477.84, showing minimal daily movement (-0.06%) amid a bearish technical signal. The company demonstrates strong fundamentals with 15% revenue growth in Q2 2026 and consistent earnings beats, achieving a 34.25% net income margin. Recent news highlights institutional repositioning into credit rating companies, with MCO benefiting from robust debt issuance and AI-related analytics demand.
Outlook remains positive with a $561.88 consensus price target (17.6% upside), though valuation multiples appear elevated. Key risks include competitive pressures and market sensitivity to credit cycles. The combination of strong profitability, analyst support (56% buy ratings), and strategic positioning in credit analytics supports a constructive view despite technical headwinds.
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 →Moody's, along with S&P Ratings, is a leading provider of credit ratings on fixed income securities. Moody's ratings segment, known as Moody's Investors Service or MIS, includes corporates, structured finance, financial institutions, and public finance ratings. MIS represents a majority of the firm's revenue and profits. Moody's other segment is Moody's Analytics and consists of Research, Data, and Analytics or RD&A and Enterprise Risk Solutions or ERS. RD&A's products include credit research, quantitative credit scores, economic research, business intelligence, know your customer (KYC) tools, commercial real estate data and analytical tools, and training services. ERS includes risk management software solutions to financial institutions.
Read more on MCO →