California Water Service Group's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of California Water Service Group (CWT) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: California Water Service Group vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 1,273M vs 9,245M combined for its competitors (12.1% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+110.3% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+43.7%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: California Water Service Group generated 12,411.5% revenue growth year over year in Q3 2026, vs 90.3% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 9.8% net margin compares with 13.5% for the peer group.
- Scale: California Water Service Group ranks #4 of 13 companies by market capitalization in the Water Supply industry, holding 5.6% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: California Water Service Group accounted for 16.8% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, up from 0.3% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.95M compares with $1.06M for the peer group (0.9x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
CWT Sales vs. its Competitors, Q3 2026
California Water Service Group reported revenue growth of 12,411.50 % year on year in Q3 2026, above its competitors' combined revenue growth of 90.33 %.
With a net margin of 9.77 %, California Water Service Group reported lower profitability than its competitors (13.49 %).
California Water Service Group generated 16.77 % of the combined sales of its peer group, up from 0.31 % a year earlier.
API endpoints for this dataset
California Water Service Group vs. its Competitors, Q3 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in California Water Service Group reports; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across California Water Service Group and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| California Water Service Group | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (2) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (3) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (3) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across California Water Service Group's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Water Supply industry grew revenue 29.7% year over year, combined, vs 12,411.5% for California Water Service Group. California Water Service Group's share of combined industry revenue moved from 0.06% to 5.37%, a gain of 5.31 percentage points.
California Water Service Group's Competitor Quality Breadth
Group definitions: see Methodology: Performance Group Definitions.
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Water Service Group | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Competitors combined (8) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (2) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (8) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 87.50 % (7 of 8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 75.00 % (6 of 8) | 12.50 % (1 of 8) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
CWT Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
CWT Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
CWT Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
CWT Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | H2o America | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | American States Water Co | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | American Water Works Company Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Middlesex Water Company | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Artesian Resources Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for California Water Service Group's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
California Water Service Group's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of California Water Service Group
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 California Water Service Group |
3,190.10 | 1,272.77 |
 American Water Works Company Inc |
29,907.71 | 8,195.00 |
 American States Water Co |
3,552.23 | 698.76 |
 H2o America |
2,736.96 | 838.18 |
 Middlesex Water Company |
1,139.09 | 212.26 |
 York Water Co |
518.13 | 83.42 |
| SUBTOTAL | 41,963.61 | 11,460.96 |
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Sources: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on California Water Service Group versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
California Water Service Group's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from California Water Service Group reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| American Water Works Company Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Carlisle Companies Incorporated | Company report | 85% |
| Middlesex Water Company | Company report | 85% |
| H2o America | Company report | 85% |
| York Water Co | Company report | 85% |
| Pure Cycle Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Cadiz Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Artesian Resources Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| American States Water Co | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for California Water Service Group's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
California Water Service Group's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| American Water Works Company Inc | Regulated Business 46.31 % |
| H2o America | Water Utility Services 98.16 % |
| Middlesex Water Company | Regulated 95.12 % |
| Artesian Resources Corporation | Regulated Utility 92.75 % |
| Cadiz Inc | Water Treatment 78.06 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
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California Water Service Group's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Water Service Group | 3,190 | 952,671 | 102,828 |
| American Water Works Company Inc | 29,908 | 1,170,714 | 162,286 |
| American States Water Co | 3,552 | 776,399 | 158,841 |
| H2o America | 2,737 | 1,001,412 | 125,288 |
| Middlesex Water Company | 1,139 | 537,354 | 131,661 |
| York Water Co | 518 | 646,682 | 184,473 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 38,774 | 1,060,165 | 151,972 |
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California Water Service Group's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 13 companies in California Water Service Group's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.California Water Service Group ranks #4 of 13 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 5.61 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 3,524, indicating a highly concentrated market structure (see Methodology: Market Structure & Concentration).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Water Works Company Inc | 29,457 | 53.56 % |
| 2 | Essential Utilities Inc | 12,912 | 23.48 % |
| 3 | American States Water Co | 3,552 | 6.46 % |
| 4 | California Water Service Group | 3,085 | 5.61 % |
| 5 | H2o America | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Middlesex Water Company | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | York Water Co | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Consolidated Water Co ltd | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Artesian Resources Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Cadiz Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of California Water Service Group's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-11-06.
California Water Service Group's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Water Works Company Inc | 29,457 | 13.03 % |
| 2 | Essential Utilities Inc | 12,912 | 13.05 % |
| 3 | American States Water Co | 3,552 | 19.74 % |
| 4 | California Water Service Group | 3,085 | 7.42 % |
| 5 | H2o America | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 6 | Middlesex Water Company | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 7 | York Water Co | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 8 | Consolidated Water Co ltd | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 9 | Artesian Resources Corporation | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of California Water Service Group's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-11-06. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
California Water Service Group's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Water Supply industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (15 companies). See the full Water Supply industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 78.73 % | 51.35 % (avg) | +27.4 pp |
| Operating Margin | 15.50 % | industry median | -5.2 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 15.31 % | 36.78 % (avg) | -21.5 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 45.34 % | 39.13 % (avg) | +6.2 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
California Water Service Group's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Water Supply industry average (15 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Water Supply industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 22.1x | 28.6x | -6.5x |
| EV / EBITDA | 24.1x | 14.7x | +9.4x |
| P/B | 1.7x | 3.4x | -1.7x |
| Return on Equity | 7.75 % | industry aggregate | -1.43 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 3.08 % | 2.37 % (avg) | 0.71 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
California Water Service Group's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 4.93 % | 2.41 % | 10.56 % | 0.30 % | -50.78 % | -63.12 % | -90.23 % | 0.72 % |
| Operating Margin | 15.43 % | 13.55 % | 16.85 % | 15.58 % | 31.88 % | 36.52 % | - | - |
| Return on Invested Capital | 3.55 % | 2.88 % | 3.44 % | 2.69 % | 2.75 % | 1.70 % | 4.70 % | 3.46 % |
| P/E | 33.5x | 39.3x | 26.9x | 33.5x | 35.2x | 55.9x | 15.4x | 21.2x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
California Water Service Group's Strategic Group Map
California Water Service Group is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC are labeled. See Methodology: Strategic Group Map for how this chart is built.
California Water Service Group's trailing-12-month revenue growth of 500.0% and operating margin of 15.5% compares with an average of 22.5% growth and 21.6% margin across its 8 closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC -- California Water Service Group sits above that peer average on growth and below it on margin.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
California Water Service Group's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
See Methodology: BCG Growth-Share Matrix for how relative share and growth are calculated and thresholded.
California Water Service Group falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.10x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 9.7% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution. A caveat worth reading alongside this chart: American Water Works Company Inc alone holds 54% of this industry's market cap. In an industry this dominated by one leader, the framework will place nearly every OTHER company in "Dog" or "Question Mark" purely because relative share is measured against that leader, regardless of how strong those other companies actually are on their own fundamentals. Check the Profitability, Valuation and Financial Strength sections above before treating this quadrant label as a verdict.
California Water Service Group's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | Low | Industry HHI of 3,524 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | High (capital intensive) | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 45.34 % vs industry average 39.13 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
Note: see Methodology: Porter's Five Forces. Supplier power and buyer power are covered on California Water Service Group's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages, not here.
California Water Service Group's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
See Methodology: GE/McKinsey Matrix for how the two axes are built.
California Water Service Group falls in the High attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Invest / Grow.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
California Water Service Group's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+110.3% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Weaknesses
- Operating margin 5.2 points below the industry median.
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.10x).
Opportunities
- Trades at a lower P/E than the industry average (22.1x vs 28.6x) despite a higher return on invested capital -- a possible re-rating opportunity.
Threats
- Industry dominated by American Water Works Company Inc , holding 53.56 % of industry market cap.
- High capital intensity requires continuous reinvestment just to keep pace with the industry.
Methodology: see Methodology: SWOT Analysis.
California Water Service Group's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Water Service Group | 0.09 | 0.73 | 0.94 |
| American Water Works Company Inc | 0.04 | 0.43 | 1.37 |
| American States Water Co | 0.11 | 1.18 | 0.75 |
| H2o America | 0.83 | 1.55 | 1.02 |
| Middlesex Water Company | 0.02 | 0.46 | 0.80 |
| York Water Co | 0.01 | 0.85 | 0.87 |
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Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
California Water Service Group's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Water Service Group | Q3 2026 | +12,411.5 % | +7.0 % |
| American Water Works Company Inc | Q3 2026 | +107.6 % | +2.1 % |
| American States Water Co | Q2 2026 | +11.2 % | +28.4 % |
| H2o America | Q3 2026 | +4.0 % | -4.6 % |
| Middlesex Water Company | Q3 2026 | +11.3 % | +29.2 % |
| York Water Co | Q2 2026 | +22.5 % | +50.7 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +115.2 % | +4.6 % |
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Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
California Water Service Group's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Water Service Group | Q3 2026 | -0.6 % | +9.7 % |
| American Water Works Company Inc | Q3 2026 | +1.5 % | +11.4 % |
| American States Water Co | Q2 2026 | +6.5 % | -4.7 % |
| H2o America | Q3 2026 | +48.4 % | - |
| Middlesex Water Company | Q3 2026 | +13.6 % | - |
| York Water Co | Q2 2026 | +23.4 % | -12.6 % |
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California Water Service Group's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Water Service Group | 2.34% | 2.96% | 7.75% |
| American Water Works Company Inc | 3.15% | 3.76% | 9.99% |
| American States Water Co | 5.26% | 6.88% | 13.49% |
| H2o America | 1.91% | 2.15% | 5.65% |
| Middlesex Water Company | 3.69% | 3.19% | 10.08% |
| York Water Co | 3.47% | 4.36% | 9.38% |
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ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
California Water Service Group's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| California Water Service Group | 22.78 | 2.51 |
| American Water Works Company Inc | 26.04 | 3.65 |
| American States Water Co | 24.65 | 5.08 |
| H2o America | 24.59 | 3.27 |
| Middlesex Water Company | 21.54 | 5.37 |
| York Water Co | 20.29 | 6.21 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 26.26 | 3.66 |
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P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.