
What Analysts Expect from Water Utilities’ Dividend Growth
By Vineet KulkarniUpdated
Dividend per share
US water utilities have distributed fair dividends during the past few quarters. For example, American Water Works’ (AWK) dividend growth during the last five years stands at 10%. Its earnings are expected to rise by 7%–10% annually, which should contribute to stable future dividend growth. Notably, AWK paid $1.33 per share dividend in 2015.
American States Water’s (AWR) dividend has grown by 10%, compounded annually, during the past five years. It paid a $0.87 per-share dividend last year. By comparison, Aqua America (WTR) and California Water Service Group (CWT) paid dividends of $0.69 and $0.67 per share in 2015. In the past five years, WTR’s dividend has increased by 8%, while CWT’s dividend registered a 2.4% rise, compounded annually.
Now let’s take a closer look at the recent yields of water utility ETFs.