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American States Water Co.: 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: 1 new, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter reported EPS slipped $0.01: Fully diluted EPS was $0.74 for the fourth quarter 2025 against $0.75 a year earlier, a $0.01 decrease as reported. Source
  • Adjusted fourth-quarter EPS rose $0.18: Adjusted for the 2024 items, fourth-quarter EPS rose $0.18 from $0.56 to $0.74, mainly on new customer rates at the regulated utilities and higher contracted services earnings. Source
  • Full-year reported EPS up 6.3%: Full-year reported diluted EPS was $3.37 against $3.17, up $0.20. Adjusted for the 2024 water tax benefit, full-year EPS rose 10.9%, or $0.33. Source
  • Water adjusted EPS rose $0.11: Water reported $0.50 for the fourth quarter against $0.52 a year earlier. Adjusted for the 2024 tax benefit, water rose from $0.39 to $0.50. Source
  • Water supply costs rose $10.2 million: The rise came mainly from higher per-unit purchased water costs covered in customer rates. Supply costs now run through an incremental cost balancing account. Source
  • ATM share sales continued: AWR sold 2,048,988 shares under its ATM program through December 31, 2025. Of the $200 million program, $40.7 million remained available for sale. Source
  • First-quarter 2026 dividend set: The board approved a first-quarter 2026 dividend of $0.5040 per share on February 10, 2026, the same rate as the fourth-quarter 2025 dividend. Source

“Earnings per share increased at all operating business segments”

American States Water Co., press release

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Company-funded capital expenditures Source2026$185 to $225 millionNew
Authorized capital investment SourceOver the respective rate cyclesnearly $650 millionKept
Dividend growth policy SourceLong-termCAGR of more than 7%Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Company-funded capital expenditure for 2026 is projected at $185 to $225 million. The prior release gave a 2025 range of $180 to $210 million. Source
  • Guidance kept: Authorized capital investment across the rate cycles stays at nearly $650 million, the same figure as in the prior release. Source
  • Guidance kept: The long-term dividend policy is unchanged, targeting a compound annual growth rate of more than 7%. Source
  • New: A CPUC final decision in December 2025 allowed recovery of previously incurred costs tied to BVES's solar and battery project. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Fourth-quarter reported EPS slipped $0.01: Fully diluted EPS was $0.74 for the fourth quarter 2025 against $0.75 a year earlier, a $0.01 decrease as reported. Source
  • Adjusted fourth-quarter EPS rose $0.18: Adjusted for the 2024 items, fourth-quarter EPS rose $0.18 from $0.56 to $0.74, mainly on new customer rates at the regulated utilities and higher contracted services earnings. Source
  • Full-year reported EPS up 6.3%: Full-year reported diluted EPS was $3.37 against $3.17, up $0.20. Adjusted for the 2024 water tax benefit, full-year EPS rose 10.9%, or $0.33. Source
  • Net income and revenue both rose: Full-year operating revenues were $658,073 thousand against $595,459 thousand. Fourth-quarter operating revenues were $164,278 thousand against $143,098 thousand. Source

Segments and regions

  • Water adjusted EPS rose $0.11: Water reported $0.50 for the fourth quarter against $0.52 a year earlier. Adjusted for the 2024 tax benefit, water rose from $0.39 to $0.50. Source
  • Water revenue rose $17.4 million: Water operating revenues rose about $17.4 million, mainly from the CPUC-authorized rate increases effective January 1, 2025. Source
  • Electric adjusted EPS rose $0.04: Electric reported $0.11 for the fourth quarter against $0.13. Adjusted for the 2024 retroactive rates, electric rose from $0.07 to $0.11 on third-year rate increases and advice letter revenue. Source
  • Contracted services EPS rose $0.05: Contracted services earned $0.16 against $0.11, from management fee revenue on resolved price adjustments, higher construction activity and lower interest expense. Source
  • Parent loss widened by $0.01: AWR (parent) lost $0.03 per share against $0.02, from higher borrowing under the credit facility, partly offset by lower average interest rates. Source

“AWR’s consolidated diluted earnings in 2025 were negatively impacted by approximately $0.10 per share from the higher number of dilutive shares in 2025 compared to 2024 due to the continued issuance of equity under AWR’s ATM offering program.”

American States Water Co., press release

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Water supply costs rose $10.2 million: The rise came mainly from higher per-unit purchased water costs covered in customer rates. Supply costs now run through an incremental cost balancing account. Source
  • Operating expenses rose $2.6 million: Operating expenses excluding supply costs rose $2.6 million, mainly on labor, outside services, insurance and depreciation. Chemicals, maintenance and property taxes partly offset the increase. Source
  • Lower water tax rate helped earnings: The water effective tax rate fell on changes in flowed-through income taxes and permanent items. Other income rose $0.7 million on higher gains on retirement-plan investments. Source

Demand and order book

  • Contracted awards reached $29.4 million: Contracted services was awarded $29.4 million of additional new construction projects during 2025, which are expected to be completed through 2028. Source
  • Water revenue mechanism changed January 2025: Golden State Water moved from full revenue decoupling to a modified rate adjustment mechanism, so its revenue depends more on consumption against adopted levels. Source

“AWR has paid common dividends every year since 1931, and has increased the dividends received by shareholders each calendar year for 71 consecutive years”

American States Water Co., press release

Capital, balance sheet and shares

  • Net plant and equipment rose: Net property, plant and equipment was $2,296,319 thousand at December 31, 2025, against $2,099,625 thousand a year earlier. Source
  • Capitalization and current liabilities moved: Total capitalization rose to $1,828,281 thousand from $1,560,433 thousand, while current liabilities fell to $174,612 thousand from $285,525 thousand. Source
  • ATM share sales continued: AWR sold 2,048,988 shares under its ATM program through December 31, 2025. Of the $200 million program, $40.7 million remained available for sale. Source
  • Diluted share count rose: Weighted average diluted shares were 38,995 thousand in the fourth quarter 2025 against 38,076 thousand, and 38,673 thousand for the full year against 37,583 thousand. Source

Dividends and shareholder returns

  • First-quarter 2026 dividend set: The board approved a first-quarter 2026 dividend of $0.5040 per share on February 10, 2026, the same rate as the fourth-quarter 2025 dividend. Source
  • Quarterly dividend rose 8.3% in 2025: The company raised its quarterly dividend 8.3% during 2025. Source
  • Five-year dividend growth of 8.5%: The quarterly dividend rate has a five-year compound annual growth rate of 8.5%, and the calendar-year dividend a ten-year rate of 8.3%. Source

Rate decisions and prior-year items

  • Water rate decision sets 2025 - 2027 rates: The CPUC final decision set new water rates for 2025 to 2027 and excluded certain excess deferred income tax balances from customer rates. Source
  • Electric rates retroactive to 2023: The CPUC electric decision set rates for 2023 to 2026, retroactive to January 1, 2023, and the retroactive amounts were recorded in fourth-quarter 2024. Source
  • 2024 water tax benefit excluded: A $5.0 million tax benefit, or $0.13 per share, was recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024 after the water rate decision, and is excluded from adjusted 2024 results. Source

Business mix and service area

  • Contracted services run military base contracts: The contracted services segment operates water and wastewater facilities on twelve military bases under 50-year contracts, and one base under a 15-year contract. Source
  • Electric service area in Big Bear: Bear Valley Electric distributes electricity in the City of Big Bear Lake and surrounding areas, while Golden State Water serves more than 80 communities in California. Source

Coming up, as management said on 18 February 2026

  • Dividend payment on March 5: The first-quarter 2026 dividend of $0.5040 per share is payable March 5, 2026 to holders of record at the close of business on February 23, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Rate case SourceWater rates for 2025 - 2027; electric rates for 2023 - 2026
Capital plan Sourcenearly $650 million authorized over the rate cycles
Capital plan Source$185 to $225 million company-funded in 2026
Customer growth Sourceabout 265,100 water connections; about 24,900 electric connections

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Water revenues and earnings may vary with customer consumption compared to adopted levels, following the move to a modified rate adjustment mechanism. Source
  • Operational: Water earnings may vary with changes in the water supply source mix compared with the mix in the revenue requirement, under the incremental cost balancing account. Source
  • Financial: Share issuance under the ATM program reduced fourth-quarter earnings by about $0.01 per share through dilution. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The prior release said the company was on target for this range. This release reports $210.9 million of company-funded capital expenditures in 2025.

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.