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.

Compare

Total returnAWK vs FE

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 18y
AWK +943.1%FE +46.3%AWK compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
101001k10kStart $100201120142017202020232026$1,043$146
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

MetricAWKFE
P/E ratio24.4326.20
Forward P/E22.7117.97
P/S ratio5.171.80
P/B ratio2.442.20
PEG ratio3.986.14
EV / EBITDA15.1013.70
FCF yieldN/A14.68%

Profitability

MetricAWKFE
Gross margin43.55%53.43%
Operating margin36.48%18.57%
Net margin21.17%7.26%
ROE9.98%8.88%
ROIC4.21%4.46%

Dividends

MetricAWKFE
Dividend yield2.45%3.66%
Payout ratio59.25%101.69%

Growth (annualized)

MetricAWKFE
Revenue CAGR (5Y)6.38%7.73%
EPS CAGR (5Y)7.78%-2.32%
FCF CAGR (5Y)N/A170.22%
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.

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.