American Water Works CoSTU:AWC +0.09%83 Altman Z-Score is 1.01 as of Jun. 30, 2026, which is 7% below its 10-year median of 1.09. GuruFocus rates STU:AWC with a GF Score™ of 83/100 and a GF Value™ of €136.45 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 499 Utilities - Regulated companies, American Water Works Co ranks worse than 66.53% on this metric.
The Altman Z-Score is a model designed to predict the likelihood of a company going bankrupt within the next two years. Created by American finance professor Edward Altman in 1968, the model is specifically designed for publicly traded manufacturing companies with assets greater than $1 million.
Warning Sign:
Altman Z-score of 1 is in distress zone. This implies bankruptcy possibility in the next two years.
American Water Works Co has a Altman Z-Score of 1.01, indicating it is in Distress Zones. This implies bankrupcy possibility in the next two years.
The zones of discrimination were as such:
When Altman Z-Score <= 1.8, it is in Distress Zones.
When Altman Z-Score >= 3, it is in Safe Zones.
When Altman Z-Score is between 1.8 and 3, it is in Grey Zones.
The historical rank and industry rank for American Water Works Co's Altman Z-Score or its related term are showing as below:
STU:AWC'
s Altman Z-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.79 Med: 1.09 Max: 1.53
Current: 1
During the past 13 years, American Water Works Co's highest Altman Z-Score was 1.53. The lowest was 0.79. And the median was 1.09.
American Water Works Co (STU:AWC) Altman Z-Score Explanation
X1: The Working Capital/Total Assets (WC/TA) ratio is a measure of the net liquid assets of the firm relative to the total capitalization. Working capital is defined as the difference between current assets and current liabilities. Ordinarily, a firm experiencing consistent operating losses will have shrinking current assets in relation to total assets. Altman found this one proved to be the most valuable liquidity ratio comparing with the current ratio and the quick ratio. This is however the least significant of the five factors.
X2: Retained Earnings/Total Assets: the RE/TA ratio measures the leverage of a firm. Retained earnings is the account which reports the total amount of reinvested earnings and/or losses of a firm over its entire life. Those firms with high RE, relative to TA, have financed their assets through retention of profits and have not utilized as much debt.
X3, Earnings Before Interest and Taxes/Total Assets (EBIT/TA): This ratio is a measure of the true productivity of the firm's assets, independent of any tax or leverage factors. Since a firm's ultimate existence is based on the earning power of its assets, this ratio appears to be particularly appropriate for studies dealing with corporate failure. This ratio continually outperforms other profitability measures, including cash flow.
X4, Market Value of Equity/Book Value of Total Liabilities (MVE/TL): The measure shows how much the firm's assets can decline in value (measured by market value of equity plus debt) before the liabilities exceed the assets and the firm becomes insolvent.
X5, Revenue/Total Assets (S/TA): The capital-turnover ratio is a standard financial ratio illustrating the sales generating ability of the firm's assets.
* 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.
STU:AWC vs WTRG, AWR, CWT: Altman Z-Score Comparison
For the Utilities - Regulated Water subindustry, American Water Works Co's Altman Z-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Altman Z-Score 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 Altman Z-Score vs Utilities - Regulated Industry
For the Utilities - Regulated industry and Utilities sector, American Water Works Co's Altman Z-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where American Water Works Co's Altman Z-Score falls into.
American Water Works Co Altman Z-Score Calculation
Altman Z-Score model is an accurate forecaster of failure up to two years prior to distress. It can be considered the assessment of the distress of industrial corporations.
* 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. GuruFocus does not calculate Altman Z-Score when X4 or X5 value is 0.
American Water Works Co (STU:AWC) has a Altman Z-Score of 1.01 as of Jun. 30, 2026. The Altman Z-score measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on American Water Works Co and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 1.09. Over the past decade, American Water Works Co's Altman Z-Score has ranged from 0.79 to 1.53. According to the industry distribution chart, American Water Works Co ranks #332 out of 499 companies in the Utilities - Regulated industry, placing it in the top 66.5%.
Is American Water Works Co's Altman Z-Score too high?
American Water Works Co's current Altman Z-Score of 1.01 is near median its 10-year median of 1.09. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.79 to a high of 1.53. The Utilities - Regulated industry median Altman Z-Score is 1.26. American Water Works Co's value of 1.01 is 19.8% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, American Water Works Co ranks #332 out of 499 companies in the Utilities - Regulated industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, American Water Works Co has a GF Score™ of 83/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does American Water Works Co's Altman Z-Score compare to WTRG and AWR?
According to the Utilities - Regulated industry distribution chart, American Water Works Co ranks #332 out of 499 companies for Altman Z-Score. This places American Water Works Co in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Altman Z-Score is 1.26. American Water Works Co's value of 1.01 is 19.8% below this benchmark. Historically, American Water Works Co's own Altman Z-Score has ranged from 0.79 to 1.53 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 1.09 vs. the industry median of 1.26, American Water Works 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 Altman Z-Score for an Utilities - Regulated company?
The median Altman Z-Score among Utilities - Regulated companies is 1.26, based on 499 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Altman Z-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Altman Z-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. American Water Works Co's current Altman Z-Score of 1.01 is 19.8% 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 Altman Z-Score mean?
A high Altman Z-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Altman Z-score measures a company's bankruptcy risk. View historical data on American Water Works Co and its competitors. For the Utilities - Regulated industry, the median Altman Z-Score is 1.26 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. American Water Works Co's current Altman Z-Score is 1.01, which is near median its own 10-year median of 1.09. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is American Water Works Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, American Water Works Co (STU:AWC) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €136.45, compared to a current price of €116.25 — trading 14.8% below its estimated fair value. The current Altman Z-Score is 1.01, which is near median its 10-year median of 1.09 and 19.8% below the Utilities - Regulated industry median of 1.26. American Water Works Co's overall GF Score™ is 83/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Altman Z-Score calculated?
Altman Z-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For American Water Works Co (STU:AWC), the current Altman Z-Score is 1.01 as of Jun. 30, 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 Water Works Co (STU:AWC) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, American Water Works Co stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of €116.25 is trading 14.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of €136.45.
GuruFocus considers American Water Works Co to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for STU:AWC:
Altman Z-Score: 1.01 (near median its 10-year median of 1.09)
GF Value™: €136.45 vs. price of €116.25 (14.8% below fair value)
Industry Position: 19.8% below the Utilities - Regulated median (#332 of 499)
No single metric tells the full story. See the STU:AWC stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
American Water Works is the largest investor-owned US water and wastewater utility, serving nearly 4 million customers in 14 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. The proposed Essential Utilities acquisition would add regulated water and wastewater utilities in Ohio, North Carolina, and Texas while increasing its presence in Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia.
83GF Score
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