American States Water Company vs Prudential Financial Inc — how do they compare? American States Water Company trades at $87.85 (market cap $3.47B), while Prudential Financial Inc trades at $123 (market cap $42.20B). The key difference: Prudential Financial Inc is far larger — about 12.2× American States Water Company's market cap, and Prudential Financial Inc pays the higher dividend (4.58%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AWR | PRU | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $3.47B | $42.20B |
Sector | Utilities | Financials |
52-Week High | $89.28 | $123.93 |
52-Week Low | $70.10 | $92.00 |
Enterprise Value | $4.37B | $70.98B |
Dividend Yield | 2.49% | 4.58% |
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.
Prudential Financial (PRU) trades at $122.63, up 0.43% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and recent earnings beats in Q1 and Q2 2026. The company reported Q2 EPS of $4.08, exceeding expectations, driven by strength in PGIM and international segments. Valuation remains attractive with a P/E of 11.09 and P/S of 0.66, while a $1.40 quarterly dividend supports income appeal.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic given earnings momentum and strategic focus on capital-light operations, but risks include sensitivity to interest rates and regulatory changes in key markets like China. Analyst consensus is mixed with a Hold rating predominating, though institutional holdings show increased interest, suggesting potential for upside if execution continues.
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 →Prudential Financial is a large, diversified insurance company offering annuities, life insurance, retirement plan services, and asset management products. While it operates in a number of countries, the vast majority of revenue is generated in the United States and Japan. The company's investment management business, PGIM, contributes approximately 15% of its earnings and has over $1.5 trillion in assets under management. The U.S. businesses are responsible for about 45% of earnings and can be classified into Institutional Retirement Strategies, Individual Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life Insurance, and Assurance IQ. Finally, the international business segment of the company contributes approximately 40% of earnings with a strong market position in Japan.
Read more on PRU →