AEE vs. AWK: Ameren vs. American Water Works Stock Comparison
How do Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK) both fall under the Utilities industry group, but AEE is classified in Multi-Utilities while AWK is classified in Water Utilities.
| Profile Item | AEE | AWK |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Ameren Corporation | American Water Works Company, Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry Group | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry | Multi-Utilities | Water Utilities |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Multi-Utilities | Water Utilities |
| Market Capitalization | 31.24 billion USD | 29.92 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | January 2, 1998 | April 23, 2008 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AEE | AWK |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 11.92% | 17.61% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 17.94% | 9.05% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 9.71% | -0.39% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | AEE | AWK |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 17.76% | 22.53% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.40 | 0.54 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -27.46% | -37.10% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.74M | 2.03M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AEE | AWK |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.43 | 0.59 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.62 | 0.95 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Ameren (AEE) at 11.78% and American Water Works (AWK) at 9.95% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
AEE
Utilities industry group
11.78%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- AEE
- 11.78%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
AWK
Utilities industry group
9.95%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- AWK
- 9.95%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
Net Margin (TTM)
For every dollar of sales, both Ameren (AEE) at 18.59% and American Water Works (AWK) at 21.26% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.
AEE
Utilities industry group
18.59%
- Max
- 28.78%
- AEE
- 18.59%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- Min
- -0.20%
AWK
Utilities industry group
21.26%
- Max
- 28.78%
- AWK
- 21.26%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- Min
- -0.20%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Ameren (AEE) at 31.23% and American Water Works (AWK) at 43.18% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
AEE
Utilities industry group
31.23%
- Max
- 53.83%
- AEE
- 31.23%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- Median
- 23.62%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- Min
- -4.90%
AWK
Utilities industry group
43.18%
- Max
- 53.83%
- AWK
- 43.18%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- Median
- 23.62%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- Min
- -4.90%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AEE | AWK |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 11.78% | 9.95% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.12% | 3.50% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 18.59% | 21.26% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 31.23% | 43.18% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 52.47% | 61.86% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Ameren (AEE) at 15.43% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while American Water Works (AWK) at 9.74% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for AEE.
EPS Growth
Ameren (AEE) at 21.04% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while American Water Works (AWK) at 5.57% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for AEE.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AEE | AWK |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 15.43% | 9.74% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 3.41% | 10.67% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 21.04% | 5.57% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 8.92% | 8.06% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Ameren (AEE) at 0.74 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while American Water Works (AWK) at 0.39 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for AWK.
AEE
Utilities industry group
0.74
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- Median
- 0.88
- AEE
- 0.74
- Q1
- 0.66
- Min
- 0.29
AWK
Utilities industry group
0.39
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- Median
- 0.88
- Q1
- 0.66
- AWK
- 0.39
- Min
- 0.29
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Ameren (AEE) at 1.57 and American Water Works (AWK) at 1.38 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
AEE
Utilities industry group
1.57
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- AEE
- 1.57
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
AWK
Utilities industry group
1.38
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- AWK
- 1.38
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AEE | AWK |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.74 | 0.39 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.57 | 1.38 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.55 | 5.49 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
American Water Works (AWK) at 2.26% pays a yield in its industry’s typical range, while Ameren (AEE) at 0.63% falls in the bottom quartile of its peers.
AEE
Utilities industry group
0.63%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- Median
- 2.85%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- AEE
- 0.63%
- Min
- 0.00%
AWK
Utilities industry group
2.26%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- Median
- 2.85%
- AWK
- 2.26%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Ameren (AEE) at 51.48% and American Water Works (AWK) at 59.60% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
AEE
Utilities industry group
51.48%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- Median
- 56.38%
- AEE
- 51.48%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- Min
- 0.00%
AWK
Utilities industry group
59.60%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- AWK
- 59.60%
- Median
- 56.38%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AEE | AWK |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.63% | 2.26% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 51.48% | 59.60% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Ameren (AEE) at 19.63 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while American Water Works (AWK) at 26.00 sits in the richer quartile — AWK needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
AEE
Utilities industry group
19.63
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- Median
- 19.64
- AEE
- 19.63
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
AWK
Utilities industry group
26.00
- Max
- 31.22
- AWK
- 26.00
- Q3
- 23.30
- Median
- 19.64
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both Ameren (AEE) at 3.63 and American Water Works (AWK) at 5.60 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.
AEE
Utilities industry group
3.63
- Max
- 6.35
- AEE
- 3.63
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
AWK
Utilities industry group
5.60
- Max
- 6.35
- AWK
- 5.60
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Ameren (AEE) at 2.20 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while American Water Works (AWK) at 2.51 carries an above-peer premium to book — AWK is pricier on assets.
AEE
Utilities industry group
2.20
- Max
- 3.12
- Q3
- 2.21
- AEE
- 2.20
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
AWK
Utilities industry group
2.51
- Max
- 3.12
- AWK
- 2.51
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AEE | AWK |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 19.63 | 26.00 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.63 | 5.60 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.20 | 2.51 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -8.06% | -5.45% |