24/7 Wall Street
29 Sept 2026, 13:45 UTC · 1h ago
Verdict
Headline takes no side. We score WTRG +0.60 across four claims — strongly bullish.
+0.60strongly bullish
More positive than 78% of ticker scores this week
What the story claims
4 claims · scored −1 bearish … +1 bullish · 0 new · 4 priced in
AWK is acquiring WTRG in an all-stock deal with a pro forma enterprise value of nearly $63 billion, targeted to close in Q1 2027.
Priced inannounced in October 2025
So whatThe closing timeline means investors must hold through the remainder of 2026 before realizing the consolidated entity's synergies.
More positive than 93% of claims this week
Illinois regulators have a statutory timeline for the deal approval that ends by November.
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Scored by the NIS engine · methodology.
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Priced inno timing evidence
More positive than 79% of claims this week
AWK provides 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $6.02 to $6.12.
Priced inanalysis of results reported earlier
So whatThis guidance provides a coverage ratio of approximately 1.7x for the $3.58 annualized dividend.
More positive than 66% of claims this week
WTRG currently yields 3.47% compared to AWK's 2.58% yield.
Priced inanalysis of current pricing
So whatWTRG's yield advantage is supported by a cheaper 17x forward P/E versus AWK's 20x.
More positive than 54% of claims this week
Which stocks this story touches
More positive than 78% of ticker scores this week
Highlighted as the smarter hold for income investors due to higher yield, cheaper valuation, and the benefit of rolling into AWK's growth policy.
More positive than 68% of ticker scores this week
Described as the better independent company with stronger growth and consistency, though trading at a higher valuation.
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5h ago
−0.1%
Price flat so far
$38.92 vs $38.96 close before publication (Sep 28) · not market-adjusted
WTRG chart →
