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Side-by-side financial comparison of American Water Works (AWK) and Crown Castle (CCI). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

American Water Works is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.3B vs $1.0B, roughly 1.3× Crown Castle). American Water Works runs the higher net margin — 18.7% vs -45.9%, a 64.7% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, American Water Works posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (5.8% vs -4.8%). Crown Castle produced more free cash flow last quarter ($-43.0M vs $-385.0M). Over the past eight quarters, American Water Works's revenue compounded faster (12.6% CAGR vs -4.5%).

American Water Works Company, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides water and wastewater services in the United States. It offers water and wastewater services to approximately 1,700 communities in 14 states serving approximately 3.4 million active customers. The company serves residential customers; commercial customers, including food and beverage providers, commercial property developers and proprietors, and energy suppliers; fire service and private fire customers; industrial customers...

Crown Castle Inc. is a real estate investment trust and provider of shared communications infrastructure in the United States headquartered in Houston, Texas. Operating with 100 offices worldwide, its network includes over 40,000 cell towers and approximately 85,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber systems.

AWK vs CCI — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
AWK
AWK
1.3× larger
AWK
$1.3B
$1.0B
CCI
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
AWK
AWK
+10.6% gap
AWK
5.8%
-4.8%
CCI
Higher net margin
AWK
AWK
64.7% more per $
AWK
18.7%
-45.9%
CCI
More free cash flow
CCI
CCI
$342.0M more FCF
CCI
$-43.0M
$-385.0M
AWK
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
AWK
AWK
Annualised
AWK
12.6%
-4.5%
CCI

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Revenue
$1.3B
$1.0B
Net Profit
$238.0M
$-464.0M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
31.9%
46.0%
Net Margin
18.7%
-45.9%
Revenue YoY
5.8%
-4.8%
Net Profit YoY
-0.4%
EPS (diluted)
$1.22
$1.48

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
$1.0B
Q4 25
$1.3B
$1.1B
Q3 25
$1.5B
$1.1B
Q2 25
$1.3B
$1.1B
Q1 25
$1.1B
$1.1B
Q4 24
$1.2B
$1.1B
Q3 24
$1.3B
$1.1B
Q2 24
$1.1B
$1.1B
Net Profit
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
$-464.0M
Q4 25
$238.0M
$294.0M
Q3 25
$379.0M
$323.0M
Q2 25
$289.0M
$291.0M
Q1 25
$205.0M
$-464.0M
Q4 24
$239.0M
Q3 24
$350.0M
$303.0M
Q2 24
$277.0M
$251.0M
Gross Margin
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
Q4 25
97.4%
Q3 25
97.2%
Q2 25
97.5%
Q1 25
97.4%
Q4 24
97.7%
Q3 24
97.6%
Q2 24
97.7%
Operating Margin
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
46.0%
Q4 25
31.9%
48.8%
Q3 25
42.2%
49.0%
Q2 25
38.4%
47.7%
Q1 25
32.7%
49.1%
Q4 24
33.3%
51.0%
Q3 24
40.9%
47.5%
Q2 24
39.4%
44.7%
Net Margin
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
-45.9%
Q4 25
18.7%
27.5%
Q3 25
26.1%
30.1%
Q2 25
22.7%
27.5%
Q1 25
18.1%
-43.7%
Q4 24
19.9%
Q3 24
26.4%
27.1%
Q2 24
24.3%
22.7%
EPS (diluted)
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
$1.48
Q4 25
$1.22
$0.67
Q3 25
$1.94
$0.74
Q2 25
$1.48
$0.67
Q1 25
$1.05
$-1.07
Q4 24
$1.22
Q3 24
$1.80
$0.70
Q2 24
$1.42
$0.58

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$98.0M
$55.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$12.8B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$10.8B
Total Assets
$35.4B
$31.4B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.18×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
$55.0M
Q4 25
$98.0M
$99.0M
Q3 25
$166.0M
$57.0M
Q2 25
$94.0M
$94.0M
Q1 25
$114.0M
$60.0M
Q4 24
$96.0M
$100.0M
Q3 24
$127.0M
$194.0M
Q2 24
$48.0M
$155.0M
Total Debt
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
Q4 25
$12.8B
$21.6B
Q3 25
$13.0B
$21.6B
Q2 25
$12.3B
$22.0B
Q1 25
$13.3B
$22.9B
Q4 24
$12.5B
$23.5B
Q3 24
$12.6B
$23.5B
Q2 24
$12.6B
$22.9B
Stockholders' Equity
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
Q4 25
$10.8B
$-1.6B
Q3 25
$10.9B
$-1.5B
Q2 25
$10.7B
$-1.4B
Q1 25
$10.5B
$-1.3B
Q4 24
$10.3B
$-133.0M
Q3 24
$10.4B
$5.3B
Q2 24
$10.2B
$5.7B
Total Assets
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
$31.4B
Q4 25
$35.4B
$31.5B
Q3 25
$34.7B
$31.5B
Q2 25
$33.9B
$31.6B
Q1 25
$33.2B
$31.8B
Q4 24
$32.8B
$32.7B
Q3 24
$31.8B
$38.0B
Q2 24
$31.2B
$38.2B
Debt / Equity
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.18×
Q3 25
1.19×
Q2 25
1.15×
Q1 25
1.26×
Q4 24
1.21×
Q3 24
1.21×
4.43×
Q2 24
1.24×
4.04×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$663.0M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-385.0M
$-43.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-30.3%
-4.3%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
82.5%
1.0%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
2.79×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-1.1B
$4.3B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
Q4 25
$663.0M
$3.1B
Q3 25
$764.0M
$714.0M
Q2 25
$301.0M
$832.0M
Q1 25
$331.0M
$641.0M
Q4 24
$639.0M
$2.9B
Q3 24
$679.0M
$699.0M
Q2 24
$345.0M
$768.0M
Free Cash Flow
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
$-43.0M
Q4 25
$-385.0M
$2.9B
Q3 25
$-33.0M
$671.0M
Q2 25
$-432.0M
$792.0M
Q1 25
$-217.0M
$601.0M
Q4 24
$-255.0M
$2.8B
Q3 24
$-4.0M
$661.0M
Q2 24
$-325.0M
$729.0M
FCF Margin
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
-4.3%
Q4 25
-30.3%
268.4%
Q3 25
-2.3%
62.6%
Q2 25
-34.0%
74.7%
Q1 25
-19.1%
56.6%
Q4 24
-21.2%
247.3%
Q3 24
-0.3%
59.0%
Q2 24
-28.5%
65.9%
Capex Intensity
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
1.0%
Q4 25
82.5%
17.0%
Q3 25
54.8%
4.0%
Q2 25
57.6%
3.8%
Q1 25
48.3%
3.8%
Q4 24
74.4%
15.7%
Q3 24
51.4%
3.4%
Q2 24
58.8%
3.5%
Cash Conversion
AWK
AWK
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
Q4 25
2.79×
10.40×
Q3 25
2.02×
2.21×
Q2 25
1.04×
2.86×
Q1 25
1.61×
Q4 24
2.67×
Q3 24
1.94×
2.31×
Q2 24
1.25×
3.06×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

AWK
AWK

Water Services$1.0B81%
Other$127.0M10%
Wastewater Services$101.0M8%
Miscellaneous Utility Charge$11.0M1%

CCI
CCI

Site rental$961.0M95%
Services and other$49.0M5%

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