American States Water Company vs QUALCOMM, Inc. — how do they compare? American States Water Company trades at $85.58 (market cap $3.33B), while QUALCOMM, Inc. trades at $177.22 (market cap $187.72B). The key difference: QUALCOMM, Inc. is far larger — about 56.4× American States Water Company's market cap, and American States Water Company pays the higher dividend (2.37%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AWR | QCOM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $3.33B | $187.72B |
Sector | Utilities | Technology |
52-Week High | $85.05 | $251.10 |
52-Week Low | $70.10 | $124.07 |
Enterprise Value | $4.24B | $193.19B |
Dividend Yield | 2.37% | 2.07% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
American States Water (AWR) trades at $85.05, up 0.64% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong profitability metrics including a 19.66% net income margin. Recent news highlights its inclusion in TIME's America's Best Companies 2026 list and a completed $200 million ATM equity offering. The stock shows consistent dividend performance with a 71-year growth streak, though recent quarters saw mixed earnings results versus expectations.
Outlook remains stable with revenue growth to $679 million in 2026 and solid cash flow, but risks include regulatory pressures and interest rate sensitivity. Analysts are cautious with only 20% buy ratings. The stock offers defensive appeal but faces execution risks in a high-valuation environment.
Qualcomm (QCOM) trades at $183.98, down 2.74% on the day, amid a bearish technical signal. The company maintains strong profitability with 54.8% gross margins and 22.31% net income margin, though revenue growth has been modest. Recent earnings have consistently beaten expectations, with Q1 2026 EPS of $2.65 surpassing the $2.56 estimate. Analyst consensus remains positive with a $222.53 price target, representing 21% upside potential from current levels.
Qualcomm faces near-term headwinds from smartphone market softness but is successfully diversifying into automotive and AI data centers. The stock offers value at 19.15x P/E with strong cash flow generation, though competition from Nvidia in PC chips presents execution risk. With 42.65% of analysts rating it Buy and solid balance sheet fundamentals, QCOM presents a compelling long-term opportunity despite technical weakness.
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 →Qualcomm develops and licenses wireless technology and designs chips for smartphones. The company's key patents revolve around CDMA and OFDMA technologies, which are standards in wireless communications that are the backbone of all 3G and 4G networks. The firm is a leader in 5G network technology as well. Qualcomm's IP is licensed by virtually all wireless device makers. The firm is also the world's largest wireless chip vendor, supplying nearly every premier handset maker with leading-edge processors. Qualcomm also sells RF-front end modules into smartphones and chips into automotive and Internet of Things markets.
Read more on QCOM →