Is AWK or PPL cheaper?

On trailing earnings, PPL is cheaper: AWK trades at a 22.74 P/E and PPL at 21.54.

Which has grown faster, AWK or PPL?

Over the past five years, PPL grew revenue faster — AWK at a 6.38% CAGR versus PPL at 8.87%.

Does AWK or PPL pay a bigger dividend?

AWK yields 2.63% and PPL yields 3.16% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is AWK or PPL more profitable?

AWK runs the higher net margin — AWK at 21.17% versus PPL at 13.09%.

Which has been the better investment, AWK or PPL?

Over the past 10-year, AWK delivered the higher annualized total return — AWK at 7.11% versus PPL at 3.45%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) vs PPL Corporation (PPL)

PPL leads on 9 of 15 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of American Water Works Company, Inc. and PPL Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 17, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

AWK

American Water Works Company, Inc.

Total return — AWK vs PPL

growth of $100 · last 18y

AWK +519.8%PPL -21.8%AWK compounded faster

Log scale — wide-divergence pair

AWK PPL

AWK vs PPL: by the numbers

•PPL is the larger company ($26.58B vs $24.95B market cap).
•PPL trades at the lower earnings multiple (21.54 vs 22.74 P/E).
•AWK converts more revenue to profit (21.17% vs 13.09% net margin).
•PPL grew revenue faster over the past five years (8.87% vs 6.38% CAGR).
•PPL pays the higher dividend yield (3.16% vs 2.63%).

Which is better, AWK or PPL?

Metric tally: AWK 6 · PPL 9

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValuePPL(lower P/E)

GrowthPPL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomePPL(higher dividend yield)

QualityAWK(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	AWK	PPL
P/E ratio	22.74	21.54●
Forward P/E	19.58	16.68●
P/S ratio	4.81	2.87●
P/B ratio	2.27	1.78●
PEG ratio	3.98	0.66●
EV / EBITDA	14.49	12.00●

Profitability

Metric	AWK	PPL
Gross margin	43.55%●	35.20%
Operating margin	36.48%●	23.53%
Net margin	21.17%●	13.09%
ROE	9.98%●	8.12%
ROIC	4.21%●	4.07%

Dividends

Metric	AWK	PPL
Dividend yield	2.63%	3.16%●
Payout ratio	59.25%	69.69%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AWK	PPL
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.38%	8.87%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	7.78%●	-3.48%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	—	-4.92%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-2.66%	8.10%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, AWK or PPL?: It depends on your goal. value: PPL (lower P/E); growth: PPL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: PPL (higher dividend yield); quality: AWK (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, PPL leads 9 to 6.
Is AWK or PPL cheaper?: On trailing earnings, PPL is cheaper: AWK trades at a 22.74 P/E and PPL at 21.54.
Which has grown faster, AWK or PPL?: Over the past five years, PPL grew revenue faster — AWK at a 6.38% CAGR versus PPL at 8.87%.
Does AWK or PPL pay a bigger dividend?: AWK yields 2.63% and PPL yields 3.16% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is AWK or PPL more profitable?: AWK runs the higher net margin — AWK at 21.17% versus PPL at 13.09%.
Which has been the better investment, AWK or PPL?: Over the past 10-year, AWK delivered the higher annualized total return — AWK at 7.11% versus PPL at 3.45%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AWK analysis Full PPL analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

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

American Water Works & PPL 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 June 17, 2026.