American States Water Company vs Smith & Nephew plc — how do they compare? American States Water Company trades at $87.85 (market cap $3.47B), while Smith & Nephew plc trades at $30.05 (market cap $12.54B). The key difference: Smith & Nephew plc is far larger — about 3.6× American States Water Company's market cap, and Smith & Nephew plc pays the higher dividend (2.65%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AWR | SNN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $3.47B | $12.54B |
Sector | Utilities | Health |
52-Week High | $89.28 | $38.70 |
52-Week Low | $70.10 | $28.73 |
Enterprise Value | $4.37B | $15.57B |
Dividend Yield | 2.49% | 2.65% |
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.
SNN trades at $29.87, down 0.71% on the day, with a bearish technical signal. The company reported Q2 2026 revenue growth of 1.6%, below expectations, leading to a reduced full-year outlook. Fundamentals show improvement with 2025 revenue of $6.16B and net income of $625M, yielding a 10.08% margin, though recent earnings have been mixed. The balance sheet remains solid with $619M in cash and a debt-to-asset ratio of 29.75% for 2025.
The outlook is cautious due to near-term operational weakness, particularly in U.S. Orthopaedics, offset by innovation in robotics and wound care. Risks include execution challenges and competitive pressures, while analyst sentiment is predominantly Hold. The stock's valuation appears reasonable with a P/E of 20.41, but growth catalysts are needed for significant upside.
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 →Smith & Nephew designs, manufactures, and markets orthopedic devices, sports medicine and arthroscopic technologies, and wound-care solutions. Roughly 42% of the U.K.-based firm's revenue comes from orthopedic products, and another 30% is sports medicine and ENT. The remaining 28% of revenue is from the advanced wound therapy segment. Roughly half of Smith & Nephew's total revenue comes from the United States, just over 30% is from other developed markets, and emerging markets account for the remainder.
Read more on SNN →