How to buy American Water Works shares in the UK

American Water Works (AWK) is a publicly traded utilities - regulated water business based in the US which employs around 6,700 staff. American Water Works is listed on the NYSE and traded in US dollars.

How to buy shares in American Water Works

Open a brokerage account. Choose from our top broker picks or compare brokers in depth. To trade US shares you'll need to complete a W8-BEN form – typically part of the sign-up process.
Fund your account. Add money to your account via bank transfer, debit card or credit card.
Search the platform by ticker symbol. AWK in this case.
Choose an order type. Place a market order or limit order with your preferred number of shares or dollar amount.
Submit the order. It's that simple.

The whole process can take as little as 15 minutes. You'll need a smartphone or computer, an internet connection, your passport or driving licence and a means of payment.

Our top picks for where to buy American Water Works shares

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We analysed all popular share dealing platforms in the UK using 35 data points and combined this with our expert insight from using the apps. The platforms we've selected as best for each category offer stand-out features or a unique combination of elements for a specific aspect of investing. If we show a "Promoted for" pick, it's been chosen from among our partners and is based on factors that include special features or offers, and the commission we receive. Keep in mind that our picks may not always be the best for you – it's important to compare for yourself. More details in our full methodology.

American Water Works stock chart

Use our graph to track the performance of AWK stock over time.

Fees calculator for buying American Water Works shares with popular apps

Find the cheapest way to buy American Water Works shares with our calculator. Bear in mind that both exchange rates and share prices fluctuate in real time, so the costs estimated here are just a guide (refer to platforms themselves for availability and exact pricing).

Quantity of shares

Finder Score	Account fee	Min. initial deposit	Trade cost	Link
9 Excellent	£0	$100	£1,108.54	Go to siteCapital at risk
9.1 Excellent	£0	£0	£1,111.18	Go to siteCapital at risk
9 Excellent	From £0	£0	£1,107.99	Go to siteCapital at risk
8.8 Great	£0	£0	£1,100.62	Go to siteCapital at risk
9.2 Excellent	£0	£0	£1,105.79	Go to siteCapital at risk
8.5 Great	£0 (0.45% for funds)	£1	£1,123.24	Go to siteCapital at risk

Full comparison of share dealing platforms

These providers cover a wide range of stocks, but we can't guarantee they'll all offer this stock.

All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.

Alternative ways to invest in American Water Works

Via a fund
Via an S&P 500 ETF

Buying shares in just one company is generally considered a riskier bet than investing in a range of investments - AKA a "diversified portfolio". Experts generally recommend holding a mix of investments in specific assets and funds. Funds are ready-made portfolios of multiple companies' shares (potentially including American Water Works), and the idea is that drops in the value of one constituent company's share price might be offset by rises in others.

American Water Works is a major part of the NYSE, so it's included in many global funds and investment trusts, as well as tracker-style exchange traded funds (ETFs).

ETF	1-year performance (to May. '25)	5-year performance (to May. '25)	Link
Invesco S&P 500 ETF (SPXP)	N/A	N/A	Invest Capital at risk
Xtrackers S&P 500 Swap ETF 1C (XSPX)	3.33%	96.35%	Invest Capital at risk
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF USD (Acc) (CSP1)	N/A	N/A	Invest Capital at risk
HSBC S&P 500 ETF (HSPX)	2.19%	83.77%	Invest Capital at risk

Is it a good time to buy American Water Works stock?

Review technicals and fundamentals to help you determine if now's a good time for you to invest.

Technical analysis

View American Water Works's price performance, share price volatility, historical data and technicals.

Quick verdict
Historical data

The gauge below shows real-time ratings that are based on 26 popular indicators such as moving averages, for specific time periods. It's not a recommendation but is simply technical analysis that can form part of your research.

Finder might not agree with the analysis and we take no responsibility. We also give no representations or warranty on the accuracy or completeness of the information provided on this page.

Historical closes compared with the last close of $146.94

1 week (2025-05-05)	-0.82%
1 month (2025-04-12)
3 months (2025-02-12)
6 months (2024-11-12)
1 year (2024-05-12)
2 years (2023-05-12)
3 years (2022-05-12)
5 years (2020-05-12)

Invest in American Water Works shares

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Is American Water Works under- or over-valued?

Valuing a stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge value. Check out the American Water Works P/E ratio, PEG ratio and EBITDA.

American Water Works's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 27x. In other words, American Water Works's shares trade at around 27x recent earnings.

That's relatively high compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the United States stock markets on average as of March 2025 (25.37). The high P/E ratio could mean that investors are optimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're over-valued.

American Water Works's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 3.8091. Higher PEG ratios such as this can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value given the current rate of growth.

The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into American Water Works's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.

American Water Works's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is a whopping $2.6 billion (£2 billion).

The EBITDA is a measure of American Water Works's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure a its profitability.

Frequently asked questions

Dividend yield: 2.24% of stock value
Forward annual dividend yield: 2.24% of stock value
Dividend payout ratio: 57.4% of net profits

American Water Works has recently paid out dividends equivalent to 2.24% of its share value annually.

American Water Works has paid out, on average, around 57.4% of recent net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 2.24% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), shareholders could enjoy a 2.24% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In American Water Works's case, that would currently equate to about 3.06 per share.

American Water Works's payout ratio would broadly be considered high, and as such this stock could appeal to those looking to generate an income. Bear in mind however that companies should normally also look to re-invest a decent amount of net profits to ensure future growth.

American Water Works's next dividend payout is expected around 2 June 2025. To be eligible for the latest dividend you would need to have been a shareholder at 12 May 2025 (the "ex-dividend date").
American Water Works's shares were split on a 2:1 basis on 25 July 1996. So if you had owned 1 share the day before before the split, the next day you'd have owned 2 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your American Water Works shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 50% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for American Water Works shares which in turn could have impacted American Water Works's share price.
It's as easy to sell American Water Works as it is to buy! Here's how to sell American Water Works shares that you already own.
1. Open your investment app. If you've got one with desktop access, you can log in online
2. Go to your portfolio. This should be in the main menu
3. Find your shares. You may be able to search your portfolio
4. Choose how many you'd like to sell. You'll be able to review the price and see how much you'll receive
5. Sell your American Water Works shares. Your investment platform will let you know when your shares are sold

American Water Works financials

Revenue TTM	$4.8 billion
Operating margin TTM	32.84%
Gross profit TTM	$2.9 billion
Return on assets TTM	3.48%
Return on equity TTM	10.43%
Profit margin	22.24%
Book value	$54.02
Market capitalisation	$28.7 billion

TTM: trailing 12 months

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How to buy American Water Works shares

Easy steps to invest in American Water Works stock in the UK.

How to buy shares in American Water Works

Our top picks for where to buy American Water Works shares

How we chose these trading apps

American Water Works stock chart

Fees calculator for buying American Water Works shares with popular apps

Alternative ways to invest in American Water Works

Is it a good time to buy American Water Works stock?

Technical analysis

Is American Water Works under- or over-valued?

Frequently asked questions

Does American Water Works pay dividends?

When does the fiscal year end for American Water Works?

Where is American Water Works based?

Have American Water Works's shares ever split?

How to sell American Water Works shares

Can you buy American Water Works shares with a debit card?

What's the easiest way to buy American Water Works shares?

Do you need to complete a W8-BEN form if you want to invest in American Water Works

What is the key financial information for American Water Works?

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