American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) vs FirstEnergy Corp. (FE)
A side-by-side comparison of American Water Works Company, Inc. and FirstEnergy Corp. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of July 29, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.
AWK
American Water Works Company, Inc.
$138.09UtilitiesDelayed quote: Jul 29, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
FE
FirstEnergy Corp.
$49.13UtilitiesAt close: Jul 29, 2026, 4:00 PM ET
Total return — AWK vs FE
growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 18yAWK +943.1%FE +46.3%AWK compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
AWK FE
AWK vs FE: by the numbers
- •FE is the larger company ($28.42B vs $26.97B market cap).
- •AWK trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (24.43 vs 26.20 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
- •AWK converts more revenue to profit (21.17% vs 7.26% net margin).
- •FE grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.73% vs 6.38% CAGR).
- •FE pays the higher dividend yield (3.66% vs 2.45%).
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | AWK | FE |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 24.43 | 26.20 |
| Forward P/E | 22.71 | 17.97 |
| P/S ratio | 5.17 | 1.80 |
| P/B ratio | 2.44 | 2.20 |
| PEG ratio | 3.98 | 6.14 |
| EV / EBITDA | 15.10 | 13.70 |
| FCF yield | N/A | 14.68% |
Profitability
| Metric | AWK | FE |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 43.55% | 53.43% |
| Operating margin | 36.48% | 18.57% |
| Net margin | 21.17% | 7.26% |
| ROE | 9.98% | 8.88% |
| ROIC | 4.21% | 4.46% |
Dividends
| Metric | AWK | FE |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 2.45% | 3.66% |
| Payout ratio | 59.25% | 101.69% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | AWK | FE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 6.38% | 7.73% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 7.78% | -2.32% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | N/A | 170.22% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | -2.09% | 9.62% |
Frequently asked
- Which has the lower trailing P/E, AWK or FE?
- AWK has the lower trailing P/E: AWK trades at 24.43 and FE at 26.20. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
- Which has grown faster, AWK or FE?
- Over the past five years, FE grew revenue faster — AWK at a 6.38% CAGR versus FE at 7.73%.
- Does AWK or FE pay a bigger dividend?
- AWK yields 2.45% and FE yields 3.66% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is AWK or FE more profitable?
- AWK runs the higher net margin — AWK at 21.17% versus FE at 7.26%.
- How have AWK and FE total returns compared?
- Over the past 10 years, AWK delivered 7.43% and FE delivered 7.86% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
American Water Works P/E ratioFirstEnergy P/E ratioAmerican Water Works dividend yieldFirstEnergy dividend yieldAmerican Water Works ROEFirstEnergy ROEAmerican Water Works operating marginFirstEnergy operating marginAmerican Water Works revenue growthFirstEnergy revenue growthAmerican Water Works free cash flowFirstEnergy free cash flow
American Water Works & FirstEnergy appear in these rankings
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 July 29, 2026.