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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.

Company profile comparison for Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK)
Profile ItemAEEAWK
NameAmeren CorporationAmerican Water Works Company, Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorUtilitiesUtilities
GICS Industry GroupUtilitiesUtilities
GICS IndustryMulti-UtilitiesWater Utilities
GICS Sub-IndustryMulti-UtilitiesWater Utilities
Market Capitalization31.24 billion USD29.92 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateJanuary 2, 1998April 23, 2008
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AEE
AWK
GSPC
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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK)
MetricAEEAWK
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

AEE
AWK
GSPC
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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK)
MetricAEEAWK
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)17.76%22.53%
Beta (5Y)0.400.54
Max Drawdown (5Y)-27.46%-37.10%
Avg. Volume (3M)1.74M2.03M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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AEE and AWK are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK)
MetricAEEAWK
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.430.59
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.620.95

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%
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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK): A comparison of their ROE against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

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%
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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK): A comparison of their net margin against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

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%
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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK): A comparison of their operating margin against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK)
MetricAEEAWK
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.

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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

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.

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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK)
MetricAEEAWK
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
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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK): A comparison of their current ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

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
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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK)
MetricAEEAWK
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.740.39
Debt / Equity (MRQ)1.571.38
Net Debt / EBITDA5.555.49

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%
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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

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%
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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK)
MetricAEEAWK
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
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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

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
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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

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
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Ameren (AEE) vs. American Water Works (AWK): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Ameren (AEE) and American Water Works (AWK)
MetricAEEAWK
P/E Ratio (TTM)19.6326.00
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.635.60
P/B Ratio (MRQ)2.202.51
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)-8.06%-5.45%