Which has the lower trailing P/E, AWK or CNP?

AWK has the lower trailing P/E: AWK trades at 23.21 and CNP at 24.73. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, AWK or CNP?

Over the past five years, AWK grew revenue faster — AWK at a 6.32% CAGR versus CNP at 3.85%.

Does AWK or CNP pay a bigger dividend?

AWK yields 2.52% and CNP yields 2.14% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is AWK or CNP more profitable?

AWK runs the higher net margin — AWK at 21.35% versus CNP at 11.61%.

How have AWK and CNP total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, AWK delivered 7.05% and CNP delivered 9.20% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) vs CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP)

A side-by-side comparison of American Water Works Company, Inc. and CenterPoint Energy, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of August 1, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

AWK

American Water Works Company, Inc.

$26.66B

$134.17UtilitiesAt close: Jul 31, 2026, 4:00 PM ET

CNP

CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

$27.69B

$42.04UtilitiesDelayed quote: Jul 31, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — AWK vs CNP

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 18y

AWK +913.9%CNP +453.4%AWK compounded faster

AWK CNP

AWK vs CNP: by the numbers

•CNP is the larger company ($27.69B vs $26.66B market cap).
•AWK trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (23.21 vs 24.73 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•AWK converts more revenue to profit (21.35% vs 11.61% net margin).
•AWK grew revenue faster over the past five years (6.32% vs 3.85% CAGR).
•AWK pays the higher dividend yield (2.52% vs 2.14%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	AWK	CNP
P/E ratio	23.21	24.73
Forward P/E	22.07	21.99
P/S ratio	4.98	2.91
P/B ratio	2.25	2.39
PEG ratio	3.98	12.54
EV / EBITDA	14.68	7.62

Profitability

Metric	AWK	CNP
Gross margin	44.38%	28.71%
Operating margin	36.94%	23.24%
Net margin	21.35%	11.61%
ROE	9.67%	9.53%
ROIC	4.21%	3.96%

Dividends

Metric	AWK	CNP
Dividend yield	2.52%	2.14%
Payout ratio	59.25%	55.90%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AWK	CNP
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.32%	3.85%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	7.78%	3.11%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-2.62%	13.36%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, AWK or CNP?: AWK has the lower trailing P/E: AWK trades at 23.21 and CNP at 24.73. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, AWK or CNP?: Over the past five years, AWK grew revenue faster — AWK at a 6.32% CAGR versus CNP at 3.85%.
Does AWK or CNP pay a bigger dividend?: AWK yields 2.52% and CNP yields 2.14% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is AWK or CNP more profitable?: AWK runs the higher net margin — AWK at 21.35% versus CNP at 11.61%.
How have AWK and CNP total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, AWK delivered 7.05% and CNP delivered 9.20% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AWK analysis Full CNP analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

American Water Works P/E ratio CenterPoint Energy P/E ratio American Water Works dividend yield CenterPoint Energy dividend yield American Water Works ROE CenterPoint Energy ROE American Water Works operating margin CenterPoint Energy operating margin American Water Works revenue growth CenterPoint Energy revenue growth American Water Works free cash flow CenterPoint Energy free cash flow

American Water Works & CenterPoint Energy appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified August 1, 2026.