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American States Water Co.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Reported EPS flat, adjusted EPS up: Reported diluted EPS was $1.06, the same as the third quarter of 2025. Adjusted EPS was $1.06 against $1.01, an increase of $0.05. Source
  • Retirement plan investments cut EPS $0.05: Retirement-plan investments recorded losses of $17,000 in the quarter, against gains of $2.5 million a year earlier, an unfavorable $0.05 per share change. Source
  • Nine-month EPS up 11.0%: Nine-month reported diluted EPS was $2.92 against $2.63. Adjusted EPS was $2.86 against $2.54, an increase of 12.6%. Source
  • Water revenue up $7.6 million: Water operating revenues rose $7.6 million, mainly from second-year CPUC rate increases and capital-project recovery effective January 1, 2026. Supply-cost recovery added no net earnings effect. Source
  • Capital investment target unchanged: The 2026 capital investment target for the regulated utilities is the same range given in the second quarter release. Source
  • No new equity planned through 2029: The ATM program reached its $200 million capacity on June 12, 2026, after 2,575,947 shares were sold. No shares were sold under it in the third quarter. Source

“Our financial results were impacted by an unfavorable period-over-period change in investment results, reflecting volatile market conditions.”

American States Water Co., press release

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Regulated utility capital investment Source2026$185 to $220 millionKept
Contracted services EPS contribution Sourcefull year 2026$0.63 to $0.67 per shareKept
Quarterly dividend Sourcefourth quarter 2026$0.5455 per shareKept
Dividend growth policy Sourcelong-termCAGR of more than 7%Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Starting in the third quarter of 2026, adjusted EPS excludes gains and losses on investments held to fund one retirement plan. Source
  • New: Year to date, the contracted services business was awarded about $31 million in additional new construction projects, expected to finish through 2029. Source
  • Guidance kept: The regulated utility capital investment range of $185 to $220 million for 2026 is unchanged from the prior release. Source
  • Guidance kept: The contracted services EPS contribution range of $0.63 to $0.67 for full year 2026 is unchanged from the prior release. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Reported EPS flat, adjusted EPS up: Reported diluted EPS was $1.06, the same as the third quarter of 2025. Adjusted EPS was $1.06 against $1.01, an increase of $0.05. Source
  • Retirement plan investments cut EPS $0.05: Retirement-plan investments recorded losses of $17,000 in the quarter, against gains of $2.5 million a year earlier, an unfavorable $0.05 per share change. Source
  • Nine-month EPS up 11.0%: Nine-month reported diluted EPS was $2.92 against $2.63. Adjusted EPS was $2.86 against $2.54, an increase of 12.6%. Source
  • CPUC rate increases lifted earnings: Management cites newly implemented CPUC-approved customer rate increases at the regulated utilities as a factor in both reported and adjusted net earnings. Source

Water segment

  • Water EPS down $0.01: Water segment EPS was $0.85 against $0.86. Excluding investment gains and losses in both periods, water EPS rose $0.04 to $0.85 from $0.81. Source
  • Water revenue up $7.6 million: Water operating revenues rose $7.6 million, mainly from second-year CPUC rate increases and capital-project recovery effective January 1, 2026. Supply-cost recovery added no net earnings effect. Source
  • Other income rose $0.4 million: Excluding investment gains and losses, other income rose $0.4 million, mainly from lower non-service benefit-plan costs. Pension cost changes have no material earnings effect under two-way balancing accounts. Source

“Removing the effects of the gains and losses on investments from both periods, adjusted consolidated diluted earnings for the third quarter of 2026 remained at $1.06 per share”

American States Water Co., press release

Electric and contracted services

  • Electric EPS up $0.01: Electric EPS was $0.05 against $0.04. Electric revenues rose $1.6 million on fourth-year CPUC rate increases and advice-letter capital recovery, partly offset by higher supply costs. Source
  • Contracted services EPS down $0.02: Contracted services EPS was $0.17 against $0.19. The company attributes the change to higher operating and construction expenses, partly offset by higher total revenues recognized. Source
  • Parent loss narrowed on lower interest: The parent loss was $0.01 per share against $0.03, due to lower credit-facility borrowings funded by ATM proceeds and lower average interest rates. Source

Costs and interest

  • Water interest expense up $1.3 million: Net interest expense rose $1.3 million, from no repeat of debt-cost capitalization on advice-letter projects, higher average borrowing, and lower interest income on regulatory assets. Source
  • Water supply costs up $0.2 million: Per-unit supply cost increases are recovered in current rates with no net earnings effect. Less purchased water was used as wells came back online in some service areas. Source
  • Operating expenses up $1.8 million: Operating expenses excluding supply costs rose $1.8 million, mainly labor, treatment and chemicals, regulatory filings, depreciation and property taxes. Lower surcharges of $1.9 million offset equally. Source

Demand, customers and order book

  • Water consumption rose about 1%: Consumption was about 1% higher than a year earlier, compared with about 4% in the second quarter. The company reported the change as favorable to net earnings. Source
  • Customer connections near 265,600: The water utility serves about 265,600 customer connections, compared with 265,200 in the prior release. Electric serves about 24,900 connections in Big Bear Lake and surrounding areas. Source
  • About $31 million new construction awarded: Year to date, contracted services was awarded about $31 million in additional construction projects, expected to be completed through 2029. Source

Capital and equity

  • Capital investment target unchanged: The 2026 capital investment target for the regulated utilities is the same range given in the second quarter release. Source
  • No new equity planned through 2029: The ATM program reached its $200 million capacity on June 12, 2026, after 2,575,947 shares were sold. No shares were sold under it in the third quarter. Source
  • ATM dilution cut EPS about $0.02: Equity issued under the ATM program reduced earnings by about $0.02 per share in the quarter. Year to date, the dilution was about $0.07 per share. Source

Dividends and returns to shareholders

  • Fourth quarter dividend $0.5455: The fourth quarter rate matches the third quarter’s $0.5455, which followed an 8.2% increase in the quarterly dividend during 2026. Source
  • 72 consecutive years of increases: Common dividends have been paid every year since 1931. The company states it has raised dividends for 72 consecutive calendar years. Source
  • Five-year dividend growth 8.4%: The quarterly dividend rate has grown at a compound annual rate of 8.4% over the five years since the fourth quarter of 2021. Source
  • Long-term dividend growth policy above 7%: The company’s current policy is a dividend compound annual growth rate of more than 7% over the long term. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 November 2026

  • Fourth quarter dividend payment date: The $0.5455 fourth quarter dividend is payable December 2, 2026 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 16, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Rate cases Sourcesecond-year water rate increases effective January 1, 2026
Rate base growth Sourceadvice-letter projects now in adopted rate base
Capital plan Source$185 to $220 million in 2026
Customer growth Sourceabout 265,600 water connections; about 24,900 electric connections
Load growth Sourcewater consumption up approximately 1%

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Water consumption and the earnings tied to it depend on climate change, conservation and weather, including El Niño and La Niña effects. Source
  • Regulatory: Under the modified revenue decoupling mechanism, GSWC’s earnings are affected by consumption changes, which management says will continue. Source
  • Operational: Water supply mix changes can result from groundwater quality changes and conditions in groundwater basins and pumping facilities, affecting future net earnings. Source
  • Regulatory: Changes in flowed-through income taxes in GSWC’s income tax expense unfavorably affected water segment earnings, under the CPUC rate-making tax method. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management states the regulated utilities are on target for the 2026 capital investment range. Source
  • Met: Management states the 10-year calendar-year dividend CAGR of 8.7% has been achieved; the second quarter release described it as on pace. Source
  • Not stated: The full-year contracted services range is restated in the third quarter release, as in the second quarter release. Source

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.