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American States Water CoAWR -0.87%85 Debt-to-Equity is 0.88 as of Mar. 2026, which is 2% below its 10-year median of 0.90. GuruFocus rates AWR with a GF Score™ of 85/100 and a GF Value™ of $85.48 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 473 Utilities - Regulated companies, American States Water Co ranks better than 53.91% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for American States Water Co's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
AWR'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.7 Med: 0.9 Max: 1.18
Current: 0.88
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of American States Water Co was 1.18. The lowest was 0.70. And the median was 0.90.
AWR's Debt-to-Equity is ranked better than 53.91% of 473
companies
in the Utilities - Regulated industry
Industry Median: 0.98
vs AWR: 0.88
American States Water Co (NYSE:AWR) Debt-to-Equity Explanation
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
American States Water Co Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
American States Water Co Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Utilities - Regulated Water subindustry, American States Water Co's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
American States Water Co Debt-to-Equity vs Utilities - Regulated Industry
For the Utilities - Regulated industry and Utilities sector, American States Water Co's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where American States Water Co's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
American States Water Co (AWR) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.88 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on American States Water Co and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 0.90. Over the past decade, American States Water Co's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.70 to 1.18. According to the industry distribution chart, American States Water Co ranks #218 out of 473 companies in the Utilities - Regulated industry, placing it in the top 46.1%.
Is American States Water Co's Debt-to-Equity too high?
American States Water Co's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.88 is near median its 10-year median of 0.90. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.70 to a high of 1.18. The Utilities - Regulated industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.98. American States Water Co's value of 0.88 is 10.2% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, American States Water Co ranks #218 out of 473 companies in the Utilities - Regulated industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, American States Water Co has a GF Score™ of 85/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does American States Water Co's Debt-to-Equity compare to CWT and HTO?
According to the Utilities - Regulated industry distribution chart, American States Water Co ranks #218 out of 473 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This puts American States Water Co in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.98. American States Water Co's value of 0.88 is 10.2% below this benchmark. Historically, American States Water Co's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.70 to 1.18 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.90 vs. the industry median of 0.98, American States Water Co has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for an Utilities - Regulated company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Utilities - Regulated companies is 0.98, based on 473 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. American States Water Co's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.88 is 10.2% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on American States Water Co and its competitors. For the Utilities - Regulated industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.98 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. American States Water Co's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.88, which is near median its own 10-year median of 0.90. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is American States Water Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, American States Water Co (AWR) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $85.48, compared to a current price of $86.41 — trading 1.1% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.88, which is near median its 10-year median of 0.90 and 10.2% below the Utilities - Regulated industry median of 0.98. American States Water Co's overall GF Score™ is 85/100 with 4 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For American States Water Co (AWR), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.88 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is American States Water Co (AWR) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, American States Water Co stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $86.41 is trading 1.1% above its estimated GF Value™ of $85.48.
GuruFocus considers American States Water Co to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for AWR:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.88 (near median its 10-year median of 0.90)
GF Value™: $85.48 vs. price of $86.41 (1.1% above fair value)
Industry Position: 10.2% below the Utilities - Regulated median (#218 of 473)
No single metric tells the full story. See the AWR stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
American States Water Co is a water and utilities holding company based in California. The segments of the firm include water, electric, and contracted services. Within these segments, American States Water conducts water and electric operations through Golden State Water Company and Bear Valley Electric Service, Inc while contracted services through American States Utility Services and its subsidiaries. Golden State Water conducts its operations across various counties in California and is regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission. American States Utility Services has contracted with the U.S. government to provide water services to various military installations. The majority of the company's revenue is derived from water services to commercial and residential customers.
85GF Score
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