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American Water Works Company, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 18 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Full-year adjusted EPS up 8.9%: Full-year 2025 adjusted EPS was $5.64 against $5.18 in 2024, an 8.9% increase. Adjusted figures exclude merger transaction costs and HOS note interest. Source
  • Regulated net income reached $1,137 million: Full-year 2025 Regulated Businesses net income was $1,137 million against $1,065 million in 2024, which included an estimated $24 million of favorable weather. Source
  • Rate recovery drove revenue growth: Operating revenues rose $427 million for 2025, primarily from completed general rate cases and infrastructure proceedings that recover capital and acquisition investment. Source
  • Operating expenses rose $260 million: Full-year operating expenses were $260 million higher, driven by employee-related costs, production costs including purchased power and water, and general taxes tied to capital investment. Source
  • $3.2 billion invested in 2025: The company invested $3.2 billion in infrastructure improvements and growth in 2025, including $83 million for regulated acquisitions. Source
  • HOS note repaid in full: The $795 million HOS secured seller note was repaid in full on February 13, 2026, after the end of 2025. Source
  • CEO cites merger benefits: The CEO said shareholder approval affirms the benefits of the merger, including enhanced scale and two complementary businesses with growth potential. Source
  • 2026 EPS range affirmed: The company affirmed its 2026 adjusted EPS range, a non-GAAP measure, and did not change it from the October release. Source
  • Long-term targets affirmed: The company affirmed its long-term EPS and dividend growth targets of 7-9%. Source

“We invested $3.2 billion in regulated operations, driven by needed infrastructure improvements to water systems, and completed 18 acquisitions across seven states,”

John Griffith, president and CEO of American Water

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
2026 adjusted EPS (non-GAAP) Source2026$6.02 to $6.12Kept
Long-term EPS and dividend growth SourceLong-term7-9%Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: The 2026 adjusted EPS range of $6.02 to $6.12 was first established in the October release and is affirmed in this release.
  • New: Shareholders of American Water and Essential Utilities approved the merger-related proposals on February 10, 2026. Source

Full-year and fourth-quarter results

  • Full-year adjusted EPS up 8.9%: Full-year 2025 adjusted EPS was $5.64 against $5.18 in 2024, an 8.9% increase. Adjusted figures exclude merger transaction costs and HOS note interest. Source
  • 2025 EPS in upper half: 2025 GAAP EPS of $5.74 excludes $0.05 of transaction costs. The company reported this result within its $5.70 to $5.75 guidance range. Source
  • Fourth-quarter GAAP EPS flat: Fourth-quarter GAAP EPS was $1.22 in both 2025 and 2024. Adjusted fourth-quarter EPS was $1.24 against $1.15. Source

Regulated Businesses and rate recovery

  • Regulated net income reached $1,137 million: Full-year 2025 Regulated Businesses net income was $1,137 million against $1,065 million in 2024, which included an estimated $24 million of favorable weather. Source
  • Rate recovery drove revenue growth: Operating revenues rose $427 million for 2025, primarily from completed general rate cases and infrastructure proceedings that recover capital and acquisition investment. Source
  • Fourth-quarter regulated income rose: Fourth-quarter 2025 Regulated Businesses net income was $265 million, against $250 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. Source

“We were also very pleased that, last week, shareholders of American Water and Essential Utilities overwhelmingly approved the respective proposals related to the pending merger announced last October”

John Griffith, president and CEO of American Water

Operating costs and interest expense

  • Operating expenses rose $260 million: Full-year operating expenses were $260 million higher, driven by employee-related costs, production costs including purchased power and water, and general taxes tied to capital investment. Source
  • Depreciation rose $111 million: Depreciation and amortization was $111 million higher for 2025 and $26 million higher for the fourth quarter, attributed to growing capital investment. Source
  • Interest expense rose $58 million: Interest expense was $58 million higher for 2025 and $12 million higher for the fourth quarter, as the company borrowed to fund capital investments. Source

Capital investment and balance sheet

  • $3.2 billion invested in 2025: The company invested $3.2 billion in infrastructure improvements and growth in 2025, including $83 million for regulated acquisitions. Source
  • Short-term debt rose to $1,588 million: At December 31, 2025, short-term debt was $1,588 million against $879 million a year earlier, and the current portion of long-term debt was $1,479 million against $637 million. Source
  • Common equity and long-term debt grew: Total common shareholders' equity was $10,837 million against $10,332 million, and long-term debt was $12,777 million against $12,518 million. Source

Dividends and HOS note

  • Dividend growth 8.2% for 2025: The company reported dividend growth of 8.2% for 2025. Source
  • Quarterly dividend declared at $0.8275: The Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.8275 per share on December 5, 2025, the same amount declared in the October release. Source
  • HOS note repaid in full: The $795 million HOS secured seller note was repaid in full on February 13, 2026, after the end of 2025. Source

Essential Utilities merger

  • CEO cites merger benefits: The CEO said shareholder approval affirms the benefits of the merger, including enhanced scale and two complementary businesses with growth potential. Source
  • Transaction costs excluded from adjusted EPS: Transaction costs for the pending merger were $0.05 per share in the fourth quarter and $0.07 per share for 2025, excluded from adjusted EPS. Source
  • 2026 guidance excludes merger costs: The 2026 adjusted EPS range excludes transaction costs the company expects to incur during 2026 related to the proposed merger with Essential Utilities. Source

2026 guidance and long-term targets

  • 2026 EPS range affirmed: The company affirmed its 2026 adjusted EPS range, a non-GAAP measure, and did not change it from the October release. Source
  • Long-term targets affirmed: The company affirmed its long-term EPS and dividend growth targets of 7-9%. Source
  • No GAAP reconciliation for guidance: Management said it cannot reconcile the adjusted EPS guidance range to a GAAP range without unreasonable effort, and adjustments may differ significantly from GAAP EPS. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Rate cases: authorized annualized revenue increase Source$264 million from general rate cases since January 1, 2025 ($250 million effective in 2025, $14 million in 2026)
Rate cases: pending annualized revenue request Source$573 million
Rate base growth, long-term8-9% including acquisitions
Capital plan$19-$20 billion for 2026-2030; $46-$48 billion for 2026-2035
Customers served Sourceapproximately 14 million people

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Rate cases in seven jurisdictions and three infrastructure surcharge filings are pending, totaling a $573 million annualized revenue request. Source
  • External: The 2026 adjusted EPS range does not include weather impacts, so any weather effect during 2026 is outside the range. Source
  • Financial: Interest expense rose to fund capital investment, and the company reported higher financing costs for 2025. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management said the company executed on its 2025 EPS and dividend guidance and plan. Source
  • Not stated: The October release assumed the HOS note would be repaid around year-end 2025. This release reports repayment on February 13, 2026 and does not describe the difference.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.