Here's Why AWR Stock Deserves a Place in Your Portfolio Right Now

Core Insights - American States Water (AWR) is experiencing growth due to an expanding customer base in water and electric utility services, leading to increased demand for its offerings [1] - The company has a diversified business model that includes water, electricity, and long-term military contracts, contributing to stable financial performance [1] Growth Outlook & Surprise History - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AWR's 2025 earnings per share (EPS) has risen by 1.22% to $3.32 over the past 60 days [2] - Projected revenues for 2025 are estimated at $629 million, reflecting a growth of 5.63% compared to the reported figure for 2024 [2] - AWR's long-term earnings growth rate is forecasted at 5.65% [2] - The company has exceeded earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters, with an average surprise of 3.63% [2] Return to Shareholders - AWR has been consistently increasing shareholder value through dividends, currently paying a quarterly dividend of 50.5 cents per share, which annualizes to $2.02 [3] - The current dividend yield stands at 2.73%, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite average of 1.41% [3] Investment Plans and Interest Rate Impact - AWR plans to invest $573.1 million from 2025 to 2027 to enhance infrastructure and operations, with capital expenditures for 2025 estimated between $180 million and $210 million [4] - The decline in interest rates, with the U.S. Federal Reserve reducing the benchmark rate by 175 basis points to a range of 3.50-3.75%, is expected to lower AWR's cost of capital and improve margins [5] Debt Structure - AWR's total debt to capital ratio is 47.54%, which is better than the industry average of 50.46% [6] - The times interest earned (TIE) ratio for AWR at the end of Q3 2025 was 4.5, indicating the company can comfortably meet its interest payment obligations [6] Stock Price Performance - Over the past six months, AWR's stock has decreased by 5%, while the industry has seen a growth of 3% [7] Additional Industry Insights - Other top-ranked stocks in the same industry include Ameren (AEE), NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE), and Dominion Energy, Inc. (D), all currently holding a Zacks Rank 2 [10] - AEE has a long-term earnings growth rate of 8.52% with a 2025 EPS estimate of $5.01, indicating an 8.21% year-over-year growth [10] - NEE's long-term earnings growth rate is 8.08%, with a 2025 EPS estimate of $3.69, suggesting a 7.58% year-over-year increase [11] - D has a long-term earnings growth rate of 10.26%, with a 2025 EPS estimate of $3.40, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 22.74% [11]