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

CNP has the lower trailing P/E: AWK trades at 23.83 and CNP at 22.55. 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 2.50% and CNP yields 2.35% 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 8.76% and CNP delivered 8.96% 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 September 13, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

AWK

American Water Works Company, Inc.

$27.38B

$137.76UtilitiesDelayed quote: Sep 16, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

CNP

CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

$25.25B

$38.33UtilitiesDelayed quote: Sep 16, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — AWK vs CNP

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

AWK +127.7% (+8.6%/yr)CNP +125.7% (+8.5%/yr)AWK compounded faster over this window

AWK CNP

AWK vs CNP: by the numbers

•AWK is the larger company ($27.38B vs $25.25B market cap).
•CNP trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (22.55 vs 23.83 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 (2.50% vs 2.35%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	AWK	CNP
P/E ratio	23.83	22.55
Forward P/E	22.65	20.04
P/S ratio	5.18	2.62
P/B ratio	2.35	2.15
EV / EBITDA	14.99	12.89

Profitability

Metric	AWK	CNP
Gross margin	47.20%	28.71%
Operating margin	36.94%	23.24%
Net margin	21.35%	11.61%
ROE	9.67%	9.53%
ROIC	4.35%	4.14%

Dividends

Metric	AWK	CNP
Dividend yield	2.50%	2.35%
Payout ratio	59.60%	54.12%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AWK	CNP
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.32%	3.85%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	7.78%	3.11%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-3.66%	11.08%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, AWK or CNP?: CNP has the lower trailing P/E: AWK trades at 23.83 and CNP at 22.55. 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 2.50% and CNP yields 2.35% 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 8.76% and CNP delivered 8.96% 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 September 13, 2026.