The Filing Desk

American States Water

AWR · NYSE · Utilities · Financials, fiscal 2016 to 2025

AWR · Last close · October 26, 2026
$85.22
Value American States Water yourself

American States Water's revenue rose 10.5% to $658 million in fiscal 2025. Its operating margin was 30.9%, down from 31.0% a year earlier. Free cash flow was −$7 million. It paid out $75 million in dividends and buybacks. The diluted share count rose 2.9%.

AMERICAN STATES WATER CO Latest fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 10-K filed February 18, 2026 · 0001628280-26-009114 Updated
Revenue
$658M
10.5%
Operating margin
30.9%
0.1 pts
Net income
$130M
9.4%
Free cash flow
−$7M
 
Return on capital
9.3%
0.9 pts
Market cap
$3.4B
Oct 26 close
P/E
23.3x
On $3.65 EPS, 4 qtrs

Operating margin is operating income as a share of revenue. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending. Return on capital is after-tax operating income as a share of the money invested in the business: debt plus equity, minus cash. Market cap is the last closing share price times the latest diluted share count, so it is approximate. P/E is the last close divided by diluted earnings per share over the last four quarters, or the latest fiscal year where the quarters aren't available; there is none when the company made a loss.

Charts show fiscal years, from the 10-K filings.

Revenue and margins

Revenue
US$ billions, fiscal years
Margins
Percent of revenue
GrossOperatingNetFree cash flow

Net income and earnings per share

From fiscal 2016 to 2025, earnings per share grew 8.5% a year and net income 9.1% a year, as new shares raised the share count by 5% and diluted each share's earnings.

Net income
US$ billions, fiscal years; loss years in red.
Diluted earnings per share
US$ per share, fiscal years, restated for any stock splits; loss years in red.

Returns on capital

Return on capital and on equity
Percent. Return on capital is after-tax operating income over the money invested in the business (debt plus equity, minus cash); return on equity is net income over shareholders' equity. Both use the average of opening and closing balances.
Return on capitalReturn on equity

Cash flow

Free cash flow
US$ billions. Cash from operations minus capital expenditure; negative years in red.

Payouts and share count

Dividends and buybacks
US$ billions, cash paid in each fiscal year
DividendsShare buybacks
Diluted share count
Weighted-average diluted shares, millions

Valuation

Two ways to value American States Water yourself, both starting from its filings: a discounted cash flow model and the price-to-earnings method.

Discounted cash flow (DCF)

A discounted cash flow (DCF) model values a business as the cash it may generate in future, discounted back to today. The starting figures come from American States Water's 10-K (or, for net cash and shares, its latest 10-Q) and the assumptions are yours: start from one of three example scenarios, then change any figure to see what it implies for a share, and how that compares with the last share price.

Value per share on three example scenarios, from American States Water's cash from operations minus depreciation in fiscal 2025 (free cash flow before spending to grow: capital spending was 5.0 times depreciation, which holds its free cash flow down) of $182M, net cash of −$772M at December 31, 2025 and 39 million diluted shares, from its filings. The scenarios are fitted to American States Water: the base scenario's growth in years 1 to 5 is its revenue growth over the last 3 years, 10.2% a year; the cautious and optimistic ones are lower and higher, and growth in years 6 to 10 is halfway to the long-run rate. The base scenario's discount rate is 9%: 7% for a stable business (Water Utilities), plus 1 point as a smaller company, worth $3.4B, plus 1 point for unsteady results (revenue fell in two of the last five years); the cautious and optimistic ones use a point more and a point less. Select one to load it into the calculator. These are the model's arithmetic on those assumptions, not a forecast or a price target.

From the filings
Cash from operations minus depreciation in fiscal 2025: a rough guide to cash flow before spending to grow, for a company building heavily.
Cash and short-term investments minus debt and finance leases at December 31, 2025. Negative means net debt.
Weighted-average diluted shares in fiscal 2025.
Your assumptions
Start from
Fitted to American States Water's own revenue growth, as above. Cautious: growth of 5% then 3.5% a year, 2% after year 10, a 10% discount rate. Base: growth of 10% then 6% a year, 2.5% after year 10, a 9% discount rate. Optimistic: growth of 15.5% then 9% a year, 3% after year 10, a 8% discount rate.
Long-run growth forever after year 10. Usually close to inflation, and always below the discount rate.
The yearly return an investor wants for the risk. A higher rate gives a lower value.
Value per share on these assumptions
—
—
Last close, October 26, 2026
$85.22
Value on these assumptions, against the last close
—

Cash flows in years 1 to 10, valued today
—
Everything after year 10, valued today
—
Plus net cash
—
Share of value from after year 10
—
Projected free cash flow
US$ billions. Each column is one year's projected free cash flow, split into what it is worth today and the part removed by discounting.
Value todayRemoved by discounting

How the value changes with two assumptions

Value per share in US$, with the growth rates above. The highlighted cell matches the current assumptions.
How the model works. Free cash flow grows at the first rate for five years and the second rate for five more, and each year is discounted at the discount rate. Everything after year 10 is valued as year-10 cash flow × (1 + growth after year 10) ÷ (discount rate − growth after year 10), discounted back ten years. Net cash is added and the total is divided by diluted shares. The result depends entirely on the assumptions. It is not a forecast, a price target or a recommendation. The last close is the consolidated US closing price, from Databento.

Price-to-earnings (P/E) method

Another common way to value a company is to multiply its earnings per share by a price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple: the number of years of today's earnings an investor pays for a share. A higher multiple usually means investors expect earnings to grow. Choose a multiple, for example from similar companies, to see the value it gives.

Value per share on three example scenarios, from American States Water's earnings per share of $3.65 (over the last four quarters). Each grows earnings for a year at the cash flow scenarios' rates and applies a multiple to next year's earnings: 21.8×, the middle of American States Water's own P/E today, its peers' median and its sector's median (its peers' median) for the base scenario, 20% less and more for the cautious and optimistic ones. The price is brought back a year at 10%, 9% and 8%. Select one to load it into the calculator. These are the model's arithmetic on those assumptions, not a forecast or a price target.

Diluted earnings per share over the four quarters to June 30, 2026, from the 10-Qs and 10-K.
P/E today is the last close divided by the latest earnings per share, the four quarters' where available. Peers: H2O America, California Water Service Group, Middlesex Water, Essential Utilities.
Starts at American States Water's revenue growth over the last 3 years, 10.2% a year, as the base scenario does.
Earnings per share in the years ahead, US$
Type your own estimate for any year; the years after it carry on at the growth rate.
Apply the multiple to earnings
A multiple on a future year's earnings gives the price then, brought back to today at the discount rate below.
The yearly return an investor wants for the risk, as in the cash flow model.
Value per share today at this multiple
—
—
Last close, October 26, 2026
$85.22
Value at this multiple, against the last close
—
American States Water's P/E at the last close
23.3×
CompanyLast closeEarnings per shareP/E today
American States WaterAWR$85.22$3.6523.3×
H2O AmericaHTO$58.48$2.5423.0×
Essential UtilitiesWTRG$42.76$1.9621.8×
Middlesex WaterMSEX$56.19$2.5921.7×
California Water Service GroupCWT$47.76$2.2221.5×
How the P/E method works. Value per share is earnings per share times the multiple. On a future year's earnings, that gives the price in that year, which is brought back to today at the discount rate: price ÷ (1 + discount rate) for each year ahead. It is quick and easy to compare across companies, but it ignores debt and cash, and earnings can swing with one-off gains and charges, so a multiple says most about steady, profitable businesses. Like the cash flow model, the result depends entirely on the assumptions you choose. It is not a forecast, a price target or a recommendation.

Balance sheet

Fiscal year endFY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
Cash and short-term investments56142719
Debt incl. finance leases413447576641791
Net debt (negative means net cash)408441562614772
Net debt to EBITDA2.3x2.6x2.4x2.7x3.1x
Debt to equity0.6x0.6x0.7x0.7x0.8x
Interest coverage6.2x4.7x4.6x3.7x4.3x
Current ratio0.9x0.4x1.2x0.8x1.3x
Quick ratio0.9x0.4x1.2x0.8x1.3x
US$ millions unless stated, at each fiscal year end. Net debt to EBITDA is debt minus cash, divided by operating income before depreciation and amortization: roughly how many years of those earnings the net debt equals. Debt to equity is debt as a multiple of shareholders' equity. Interest coverage is operating income divided by interest expense. The current ratio is current assets over current liabilities; the quick ratio leaves out inventory.

Insider trades

Over the 12 months between October 27, 2025 and October 26, 2026, 1 insider bought $70,497 of American States Water shares on the open market, and 3 insiders sold $317,737.

DateInsiderTradeSharesPriceValueFiling
Sep 4, 2026Diana M BontaDirectorSold546$88.80$48,485Form 4
Aug 19, 2026Anne M HollowayDirectorSold900$88.86$79,974Form 4
May 20, 2026Anne M HollowayDirectorSold662$75.58$50,034Form 4
May 19, 2026Anne M HollowayDirectorBought527$75.92$40,000Form 4
May 18, 2026Anne M HollowayDirectorBought135$75.92$10,235Form 4
May 15, 2026Paul J RowleySVP of OperationsSold1,304$76.05$99,169Form 4
Feb 23, 2026Anne M HollowayDirectorBought138$73.50$10,165Form 4
Nov 14, 2025Anne M HollowayDirectorBought135$74.59$10,097Form 4
Nov 11, 2025Anne M HollowayDirectorSold528$75.90$40,075Form 4
Open-market purchases and sales by officers, directors and 10% owners, from their Form 4 filings with the SEC: one row per person, day and filing, at the day's average price. Grants, option exercises and shares withheld for tax aren't counted. Insiders buy and sell for many reasons, such as taxes, spreading their savings or a plan set up months earlier, so a trade on its own says little about where a company is heading. For information only, not investment advice. Insider trades at all companies

Piotroski F-score

The F-score counts how many of nine simple tests of profitability, funding and efficiency a company passed in a year (Piotroski, 2000). The more tests passed, the stronger the year: 8 or 9 is strong, 0 to 2 weak. Companies that report no gross profit are scored on the other eight.

TestFY23FY24FY25
Net income is positivePassPassPass
Cash from operations is positivePassPassPass
Return on assets rosePassFailFail
Cash from operations exceeds net incomeFailPassPass
Debt fell relative to assetsFailFailFail
Current ratio rosePassFailPass
Share count didn't riseFailFailFail
Gross margin rosePassPassFail
Revenue rose relative to assetsPassFailFail
F-score6 of 94 of 94 of 9
Accruals ratio2.7%−3.4%−3.8%
The accruals ratio is net income minus cash from operations, over average total assets.

Compare

Put American States Water side by side with any other company we cover: revenue, growth, margins, cash flow and returns, with ten years of charts.

Similar companies

CompanyYearRevenue growthOperating marginFree cash flow marginReturn on capitalNet debt to EBITDAF-scoreCompare
American States WaterFY2510.5%30.9%−1.1%9.3%3.1x4
H2O AmericaFY257.0%22.2%—4.9%6.3x4Compare
California Water Service GroupFY256.4%17.7%—4.8%4.9x4Compare
Middlesex WaterFY251.5%27.9%——4.4x—Compare
Essential UtilitiesFY2518.6%37.2%−16.9%6.4%6.0x5Compare
Each company's latest fiscal year. Fiscal years end in different months, so the periods don't line up exactly. Free cash flow margin is free cash flow as a share of revenue. Net debt to EBITDA is explained under the balance sheet, and the F-score above.

10 years of figures

Fiscal yearFY16FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
Income statement
Revenue436441437474488499492596596658
Revenue growth−4.9%1.0%−0.9%8.5%3.0%2.2%−1.5%21.2%−0.0%10.5%
Gross profit—391383418426442438538541598
Research and development——————————
Operating income114127101127130141127197184203
Net income60696484869478125119130
Diluted EPS (US$)1.621.881.722.282.332.552.113.363.173.37
Diluted shares (millions)37373737373737373839
Cash flow
Cash from operations9714513711712211611868199230
Capital expenditure130113127152130144166188232237
Free cash flow−333110−35−8−29−48−121−33−7
Dividends paid33363943475256616775
Share buybacks0000000000
Acquisitions0000000000
Stock-based compensation2342233344
Balance sheet at fiscal year end
Cash and short-term investments00713756142719
Debt incl. finance leases321321321281441413447576641791
Total assets1,4701,4171,5011,6411,7921,9012,0342,2462,5002,715
Total liabilities9768879431,0401,1501,2151,3251,4701,5801,670
Shareholders' equity4945305586026426867107769201,046
Margins and ratios
Gross margin—88.7%87.7%88.2%87.2%88.6%89.2%90.3%90.8%90.8%
Operating margin26.2%28.9%23.1%26.8%26.7%28.3%25.8%33.0%31.0%30.9%
Net margin13.7%15.7%14.6%17.8%17.7%18.9%15.9%21.0%20.0%19.8%
Free cash flow margin−7.5%7.1%2.3%−7.4%−1.7%−5.8%−9.9%−20.3%−5.6%−1.1%
Return on capital9.0%9.8%9.1%11.2%10.2%10.0%8.7%11.9%10.2%9.3%
Return on equity12.4%13.6%11.7%14.5%13.9%14.2%11.2%16.8%14.1%13.3%
Return on assets4.2%4.8%4.4%5.4%5.0%5.1%4.0%5.8%5.0%5.0%
Net debt to EBITDA2.1x1.9x2.2x1.7x2.4x2.3x2.6x2.4x2.7x3.1x
US$ millions unless stated. Where a later 10-K restated a year, the latest filed figure is shown. Download all figures (CSV, US$ millions)
Source: American States Water's Form 10-K filings, from SEC EDGAR. For information only, not investment advice. The Filing Desk is not affiliated with American States Water.