American States Water Company vs Nasdaq Inc — how do they compare? American States Water Company trades at $87.85 (market cap $3.47B), while Nasdaq Inc trades at $95.68 (market cap $53.11B). The key difference: Nasdaq Inc is far larger — about 15.3× 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 | NDAQ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $3.47B | $53.11B |
Sector | Utilities | Financials |
52-Week High | $89.28 | $100.98 |
52-Week Low | $70.10 | $76.85 |
Enterprise Value | $4.37B | $59.57B |
Dividend Yield | 2.49% | 1.22% |
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.
Nasdaq (NDAQ) trades at $95.92, up 0.31% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong support at $95. The company reported robust earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS of $1.07 exceeding expectations, and revenue growth accelerated to $8.26 billion in 2025. Recent news includes the acquisition of LeveL Markets, advancing its always-on markets strategy.
The outlook is positive, supported by analyst consensus of $109.20 price target and 61% buy ratings. Key opportunities include sustained revenue growth and strategic acquisitions, while risks involve competitive pressures and market volatility. The stock offers a dividend yield with recent payouts of $0.31 per share.
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 →Founded in 1971, Nasdaq is primarily known for its equity exchange, but in addition to its market-services business (about 35% of sales), the company sells and distributes market data as well as offers Nasdaq-branded indexes to asset managers and investors through its information-services segment (30%). Nasdaq's corporate-services business (20%) offers listing services and related investor relations products to publicly traded companies and through the company's market technology group (15%), Nasdaq facilitates the exchange operations of other exchanges throughout the world and provides financial compliance services.
Read more on NDAQ →