American States Water Company vs Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? American States Water Company trades at $84.84 (market cap $3.33B), while Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $83.19. The key difference: American States Water Company pays a 2.37% dividend while Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund pays none, and American States Water Company is trading nearer its 52-week high, Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AWR | XLP | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $3.33B | — |
Sector | Utilities | — |
52-Week High | $85.05 | $90.00 |
52-Week Low | $70.10 | $75.61 |
Enterprise Value | $4.24B | — |
Dividend Yield | 2.37% | — |
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.
XLP (Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF) trades at $84.58, up 0.55% with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The ETF holds 36 consumer staples stocks and offers a 2.6% dividend yield. Analyst consensus is strongly positive with 100% buy ratings. Recent news highlights XLP's defensive characteristics amid market uncertainty, with retail sales hitting 12-month highs supporting the sector.
XLP presents a defensive investment opportunity with stable dividend income and low volatility characteristics. The fund's concentrated portfolio of essential consumer goods companies provides resilience during market downturns. Key risks include sector rotation away from defensive stocks and potential margin pressure from inflation. Current technical strength and positive analyst sentiment support near-term upside potential.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →In seeking to track the performance of the index, the fund employs a replication strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 95%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index includes companies that have been identified as Consumer Staples companies by the GICS®. It is non-diversified.
Read more on XLP →