Key Highlights

● AWK closed at $128.82 on 9 October 2026, and the $140.11 consensus target implies upside of about 9%.

● The consensus draws on ten ratings, with targets from $124 to $162, while the second data set shows a $141.45 mean from 13 analysts.

● Market data shows one Buy, eight Hold and one Sell rating, a Hold consensus.

● UBS raised its Buy-rated target to $162 from $156 on 10 September, the highest on the list.

American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK), a member of the S&P 500, is the largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility in the United States. Its shares closed at $128.82 on Friday 9 October 2026. The consensus analyst target of $140.11 sits about 9% above that close.

What Is the Latest Analyst Price Target?

Market data shows a consensus target of $140.11 from ten ratings in the past 12 months, with a range from $124 to $162. Against the $128.82 close, that implies upside of about 9 per cent.

The second data set, based on third-party data from 13 analysts, shows a mean of $141.45, a median of $140, a high of $162 and a low of $128, implying about 10 per cent upside. Its forecast data was last updated on 18 September 2026, so it may not capture more recent changes. The data sets are close, and both are consistent with named targets from $130 to $162.

What Are Wall Street Analysts Saying?

Analysts are mostly neutral. Market data records one Buy, eight Hold and one Sell rating and calls the consensus Hold. The second data set counts three Strong Buy, nine Hold and one Sell, also Hold.

Recent named actions on market data include UBS Group raising a Buy-rated target from $156 to $162 on 10 September 2026, the highest on the list. Truist Financial set $139 on 4 August, and Mizuho raised a Neutral target from $130 to $140 on 31 July. Barclays raised its target on an Underweight rating from $124 to $130 on 15 July, and JPMorgan raised a Neutral target from $138 to $147 on 8 July.

What Could Help the Stock Reach the Price Target?

Market data reports second-quarter earnings per share of $1.61 against a $1.53 consensus, and cites 2026 earnings per share guidance of $6.02 to $6.12 with a consensus of $6.09. If confirmed in the company's own materials, results ahead of expectations and guidance in line with forecasts could support the shares.

Regulated utilities typically rely on approved rate increases and capital investment to grow earnings, and favourable regulatory decisions or falling interest rates, which tend to help utility valuations, are the kind of developments that might narrow the gap to the target.

What Could Prevent the Stock Reaching the Target?

With eight of ten market data ratings at Hold, analysts do not see a compelling case for a sharp rerating. Utilities are sensitive to interest rates, since they carry substantial debt and compete with bonds for income-seeking investors. Rate case outcomes, regulatory delays, water quality or infrastructure costs, weather and acquisition integration could also weigh on earnings. Barclays's Underweight rating and its $130 target, only slightly above the current price, show that some analysts see limited room for gains.

What Should Investors Watch Next?

Items to watch include the next quarterly results, any change to the 2026 guidance range, regulatory decisions on rate requests, and further broker target changes.

American Water Works Pairs Modest Upside With a Hold-Heavy Panel

American Water Works closed at $128.82 on 9 October 2026, with the $140.11 consensus target about 9% higher and the second data set's $141.45 mean implying about 10%. Eight of ten ratings in market data are Hold, and Barclays' Underweight rating and $130 target, only slightly above the share price, show that some analysts see limited room, while UBS at $162 sits at the top of the range. Market data reports second-quarter earnings per share of $1.61 against $1.53 and 2026 guidance of $6.02 to $6.12 against a $6.09 consensus.