American States Water Co's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of American States Water Co (AWR) 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: American States Water Co vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 699M vs 7,693M combined for tracked competitors (8.3% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+3.8% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+77.7%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: American States Water Co generated 11.2% revenue growth year over year in Q2 2026, vs 146.4% for its tracked competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 23.8% net margin compares with 11.5% for the peer group.
- Scale: American States Water Co ranks #3 of 13 companies by market capitalization in the Water Supply industry, holding 6.7% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: American States Water Co accounted for 5.0% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 10.5% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.78M compares with $0.85M 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).
AWR Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
American States Water Co reported revenue growth of 11.18 % year on year in Q2 2026, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 146.36 %.
With a net margin of 23.77 %, American States Water Co achieved higher profitability than its competitors (11.47 %).
American States Water Co generated 5.04 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 10.52 % a year earlier.
American States Water Co vs. its Competitors, Q2 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 an SEC filing; 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 American States Water Co and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| American States Water Co | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (1) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (5) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (4) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across American States Water Co's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Water Supply industry grew revenue 26.7% year over year, combined, vs 11.2% for American States Water Co. American States Water Co's share of combined industry revenue moved from 1.72% to 1.51%, a loss of 0.21 percentage points.
American States Water Co's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American States Water Co | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Competitors combined (8) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (1) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (7) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 25.00 % (2 of 8) | 37.50 % (3 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.
AWR Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
AWR Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
AWR Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
AWR 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 | York Water Co | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Artesian Resources Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | California Water Service Group | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Middlesex Water Company | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for American States Water Co's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
American States Water Co's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of American States Water Co
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| American States Water Co | 3,254.76 | 698.76 |
| American Water Works Company Inc | 25,270.28 | 6,634.00 |
| California Water Service Group | 2,778.45 | 608.88 |
| H2o America | 2,391.79 | 816.28 |
| Middlesex Water Company | 1,000.93 | 206.14 |
| York Water Co | 497.16 | 83.42 |
| SUBTOTAL | 36,099.05 | 9,208.06 |
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Sources: American States Water Co's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on American States Water Co versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
American States Water Co's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from SEC filings and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| American Water Works Company Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
Filing basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for American States Water Co's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: relationships are extracted from SEC filings (named-competitor disclosures) and corroborating sources. Named by the company = explicitly disclosed as a competitor; Inferred = derived from corroborating signals. Confidence reflects evidence strength.
American States Water Co'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 46.69 % |
| H2o America | Water Utility Services 98.19 % |
| Middlesex Water Company | Regulated 93.98 % |
| Artesian Resources Corporation | Regulated Utility 92.75 % |
| Cadiz Inc | Water Treatment 78.06 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's SEC filings (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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American States Water Co'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| American States Water Co | 3,255 | 776,399 | 158,841 |
| American Water Works Company Inc | 25,270 | 947,714 | 161,143 |
| California Water Service Group | 2,778 | 455,746 | 99,615 |
| H2o America | 2,392 | 975,250 | 125,496 |
| Middlesex Water Company | 1,001 | 521,876 | 121,357 |
| York Water Co | 497 | 646,682 | 184,473 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 32,844 | 847,033 | 143,209 |
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American States Water Co's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 13 companies in American States Water Co's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.American States Water Co ranks #3 of 13 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 6.73 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 3,441, indicating a highly concentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Water Works Company Inc | 25,562 | 52.86 % |
| 2 | Essential Utilities Inc | 11,194 | 23.15 % |
| 3 | American States Water Co | 3,255 | 6.73 % |
| 4 | California Water Service Group | 2,778 | 5.75 % |
| 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 American States Water Co's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-09-28.
American States Water Co'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 | 25,562 | -3.46 % |
| 2 | Essential Utilities Inc | 11,194 | 4.27 % |
| 3 | American States Water Co | 3,255 | 15.29 % |
| 4 | California Water Service Group | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 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% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of American States Water Co's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-09-28. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
American States Water Co'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 (14 companies).| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 86.10 % | 59.56 % (avg) | +26.5 pp |
| Operating Margin | 31.20 % | industry median | +2.8 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 39.37 % | 43.23 % (avg) | -3.9 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 30.90 % | 46.00 % (avg) | -15.1 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.
American States Water Co's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Water Supply industry average (14 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.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 22.0x | 26.3x | -4.3x |
| EV / EBITDA | 14.3x | 14.7x | -0.4x |
| P/B | 3.0x | 3.5x | -0.5x |
| Return on Equity | 13.49 % | industry aggregate | 3.43 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 6.95 % | 2.87 % (avg) | 4.08 % |
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.
American States Water Co's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | -0.86 % | 8.48 % | 3.03 % | 2.17 % | -6.92 % | 26.37 % | -0.04 % | 10.73 % |
| Operating Margin | 23.12 % | 26.82 % | 26.73 % | 28.26 % | 24.16 % | 33.03 % | 30.98 % | 30.21 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 5.37 % | 6.08 % | 5.80 % | 5.81 % | 5.15 % | 9.08 % | 7.64 % | 6.93 % |
| P/E | 38.2x | 38.0x | 33.3x | 37.6x | 49.7x | 23.7x | 25.2x | 21.8x |
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.
American States Water Co's Strategic Group Map
Every company in American States Water Co's industry and named-competitor list, plotted by trailing 12-month revenue growth and operating margin. American States Water Co is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC (the Similar Growth & Profitability group above) are labeled.
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.
American States Water Co's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Relative market share (vs American States Water Co's largest competitor by market cap) against industry revenue growth, using the standard textbook thresholds (1.0x share, 10% growth) a common framework, not a precision instrument.
American States Water Co falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.13x 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 53% 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.
American States Water Co'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 3,441 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | Lower than typical for the industry | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 30.90 % vs industry average 46.00 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See American States Water Co's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See American States Water Co's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
American States Water Co's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
American States Water Co 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.
American States Water Co'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 (+3.8% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Weaknesses
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.13x).
Opportunities
- Trades at a lower P/E than the industry average (22.0x vs 26.3x) despite a higher return on invested capital -- a possible re-rating opportunity.
- A meaningful share of tracked competitors (50.00 %) show financial-distress signals, a possible opening to gain share.
Threats
- Industry dominated by American Water Works Company Inc , holding 52.86 % of industry market cap.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
American States Water Co'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| American States Water Co | 0.11 | 1.18 | 0.75 |
| American Water Works Company Inc | 0.04 | 0.44 | 1.40 |
| California Water Service Group | 0.10 | 0.68 | 0.94 |
| H2o America | 0.19 | 0.88 | 1.14 |
| Middlesex Water Company | 0.02 | 0.44 | 200.15 |
| 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.
American States Water Co'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| American States Water Co | Q2 2026 | +11.2 % | +28.4 % |
| American Water Works Company Inc | Q2 2026 | +112.0 % | +9.0 % |
| California Water Service Group | Q2 2026 | +11,972.3 % | +34.3 % |
| H2o America | Q1 2026 | +9.4 % | +14.9 % |
| Middlesex Water Company | Q2 2026 | +14.3 % | +37.0 % |
| York Water Co | Q2 2026 | +22.5 % | +50.7 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +120.5 % | +14.4 % |
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Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
American States Water Co'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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| American States Water Co | Q2 2026 | +6.5 % | -4.7 % |
| American Water Works Company Inc | Q2 2026 | +0.2 % | +17.3 % |
| California Water Service Group | Q2 2026 | +7.4 % | +23.1 % |
| H2o America | Q1 2026 | +13.2 % | - |
| Middlesex Water Company | Q2 2026 | +18.5 % | - |
| York Water Co | Q2 2026 | +23.4 % | -12.6 % |
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American States Water Co's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| American States Water Co | 5.26% | 6.88% | 13.49% |
| American Water Works Company Inc | 3.18% | 4.04% | 10.15% |
| California Water Service Group | 2.32% | 3.33% | 7.73% |
| H2o America | 2.06% | 2.78% | 6.60% |
| Middlesex Water Company | 3.48% | 4.29% | 2,300.19% |
| 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).
American States Water Co's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| American States Water Co | 22.59 | 4.66 |
| American Water Works Company Inc | 22.34 | 3.81 |
| California Water Service Group | 20.71 | 4.56 |
| H2o America | 21.18 | 2.93 |
| Middlesex Water Company | 213.68 | 4.86 |
| York Water Co | 19.47 | 5.96 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 22.82 | 3.92 |
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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.