GURUFOCUS.COM » STOCK LIST » Utilities » Utilities - Regulated » American Water Works Co Inc (NYSE:AWK) » Definitions » Degree of Financial Leverage

American Water Works Co (American Water Works Co) Degree of Financial Leverage : 0.58 (As of Dec. 2023)


View and export this data going back to 1947. Start your Free Trial

What is American Water Works Co Degree of Financial Leverage?

Degree of Financial Leverage (DFL) measures the percentage change in EPS for a unit change in Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT). American Water Works Co's Degree of Financial Leverage for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2023 was 0.58. The higher Degree of Financial Leverage, the more volatile earnings will be.

The industry rank for American Water Works Co's Degree of Financial Leverage or its related term are showing as below:

AWK's Degree of Financial Leverage is ranked better than
74.95% of 503 companies
in the Utilities - Regulated industry
Industry Median: 1.08 vs AWK: 0.58

American Water Works Co Degree of Financial Leverage Historical Data

The historical data trend for American Water Works Co's Degree of Financial Leverage can be seen below:

* 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.

* Premium members only.

American Water Works Co Degree of Financial Leverage Chart

American Water Works Co Annual Data
Trend Dec14 Dec15 Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23
Degree of Financial Leverage
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 1.27 1.67 1.42 1.19 0.58

American Water Works Co Quarterly Data
Mar19 Jun19 Sep19 Dec19 Mar20 Jun20 Sep20 Dec20 Mar21 Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23
Degree of Financial Leverage Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 1.19 1.23 1.29 1.36 0.58

Competitive Comparison of American Water Works Co's Degree of Financial Leverage

For the Utilities - Regulated Water subindustry, American Water Works Co's Degree of Financial Leverage, along with its competitors' market caps and Degree of Financial Leverage 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 Water Works Co's Degree of Financial Leverage Distribution in the Utilities - Regulated Industry

For the Utilities - Regulated industry and Utilities sector, American Water Works Co's Degree of Financial Leverage distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where American Water Works Co's Degree of Financial Leverage falls into.



American Water Works Co Degree of Financial Leverage Calculation

American Water Works Co's Degree of Financial Leverage for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2023 is calculated as:

Degree of Financial Leverage=% Change in Earnings per Share (Diluted)**/% Change in EBIT
=( 4.9 (Dec. 2023) / 4.51 (Dec. 2022) - 1 )/( 1656 (Dec. 2023) / 1441 (Dec. 2022) - 1 )
=0.0865/0.1492
=0.58***

* 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.

** TTM data of EPS and EBIT was used to calculate Degree of Financial Leverage.
*** Please be aware that the Degree of Financial Leverage calculations are based on company-level data using the primary share class. The calculated data provided is for demonstration purposes and may slightly differ from the results displayed in the title due to potential variations caused by currency exchange rate differences throughout the year.


American Water Works Co  (NYSE:AWK) Degree of Financial Leverage Explanation

Degree of Financial Leverage (DFL) is a leverage ratio that measures the sensitivity of a company’s Earnings per Share (EPS) to fluctuations in its operating income, also referred to as Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT), resulting from adjustments in its capital structure. DFL is an essential tool for companies to assess the appropriate level of debt or financial leverage in their capital structure. When EBIT remains relatively stable, it results in stable earnings and earnings per share. In such cases, the company may consider taking on substantial debt. However, for companies operating in industries with significant fluctuations in EBIT, it is advisable to keep debt at a manageable level.

The higher Degree of Financial Leverage, the more volatile earnings will be. Because interest is a fixed expense, leverage can amplify earnings and EPS. This is beneficial when EBIT is growing, but it can become problematic in tough economic conditions when EBIT is under pressure.

Be Aware

The use of financial leverage varies across different industries and business sectors, and the application of Degree of Financial Leverage (DFL) should be adjusted accordingly.


American Water Works Co Degree of Financial Leverage Related Terms

Thank you for viewing the detailed overview of American Water Works Co's Degree of Financial Leverage provided by GuruFocus.com. Please click on the following links to see related term pages.


American Water Works Co (American Water Works Co) Business Description

Address
1 Water Street, Camden, NJ, USA, 08102-1658
American Water Works is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility, serving approximately 3.5 million customers in 16 states. It provides water and wastewater services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers and operates predominantly in regulated markets. The company's nonregulated business is water services for military bases, which operates under long-term contracts with regulated-like returns.
Executives
Michael Marberry director 3050 SPRUCE STREET, ST. LOUIS MO 63103
Martha Clark Goss director C/O OCWEN FINANCIAL CORPORATION, 1661 WORTHINGTON RD, SUITE 100, WEST PALM BEACH FL 33409
Laurie P. Havanec director ONE CARRIER PLACE, FARMINGTON CT 06032
Melanie M Kennedy officer: SVP, Human Resources 1 WATER STREET, CAMDEN NJ 08102-1658
John C. Griffith officer: EVP Chief Financial Officer 1 WATER STREET, CAMDEN NJ 08102-1658
James H Gallegos officer: EVP and General Counsel 1 WATER STREET, CAMDEN NJ 08102-1658
Cheryl Norton officer: SVP,Chief Envrn Off & East Div 1 WATER STREET, CAMDEN NJ 08102-1658
Melissa K. Wikle officer: Vice President and Controller 1 WATER STREET, CAMDEN NJ 08102-1658
Walter Lynch officer: Executive VP, Eastern Division 1 WATER STREET, CAMDEN NJ 08102-1658
Maureen Duffy officer: VP,Corp.Comm.&External Affairs 1 WATER STREET, CAMDEN NJ 08102-1658
Adam W. Noble officer: Chief Tech. & Innov. Officer 1 WATER STREET, CAMDEN NJ 08102-1658
Lloyd M Yates director 1N 2ND ST, HARTSVILLE SC 29550
Bruce A Hauk officer: Pres, Reg. Ops & Military Serv 110 W. TAYLOR STREET, SAN JOSE CA 95110
Kevin B Kirwan officer: SVP, Chief Op Excel&Safety Off 1 WATER STREET, CAMDEN NJ 08102-1658
Michael A Sgro officer: Interim General Counsel 1 WATER STREET, CAMDEN NJ 08102-1658