American Water Works Inc. Debt to Equity

American Water Works Inc. posts a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. That is below the Utilities sector average of 1.38. Comparing that reading with peers and prior periods is usually more useful than looking at the number in isolation.

For Utilities stocks, a debt-to-equity ratio near 1.38 is typical. American Water Works Inc.'s 1.38 is lower that level. That is roughly 0.1% below the sector mean. Whether that is a warning or an opportunity depends on growth outlook and other fundamentals shown elsewhere on Stockcircle.

American Water Works Inc.'s debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38 comes from dividing a price-based measure by a related financial statistic. Changes can come from the stock price moving, the underlying fundamental shifting, or both. Track both the level and the trend — a rising multiple on falling fundamentals is a different story than a rising multiple on rising earnings.

Context for AWK's debt-to-equity ratio usually means three checks: (1) trend versus prior periods, (2) level versus peers (average 1.38), and (3) consistency with growth and profitability. This page covers the first two; American Water Works Inc.'s other metric pages and overview cover the third.

Judging American Water Works Inc. against Utilities peers is usually better than using a market-wide rule of thumb. Business models inside Utilities are more comparable, which makes gaps in debt-to-equity ratio easier to interpret. Start with 1.38 here, then scan peer and history charts to see if the gap is persistent.