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Side-by-side financial comparison of American Water Works (AWK) and Element Solutions Inc (ESI). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

American Water Works is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.3B vs $840.0M, roughly 1.5× Element Solutions Inc). American Water Works runs the higher net margin — 18.7% vs 6.7%, a 12.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Element Solutions Inc posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (41.0% vs 5.8%). Element Solutions Inc produced more free cash flow last quarter ($-74.2M vs $-385.0M). Over the past eight quarters, Element Solutions Inc's revenue compounded faster (17.1% CAGR vs 12.6%).

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...

Element Solutions Inc is an American specialty chemicals production corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

AWK vs ESI — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
AWK
AWK
1.5× larger
AWK
$1.3B
$840.0M
ESI
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
ESI
ESI
+35.2% gap
ESI
41.0%
5.8%
AWK
Higher net margin
AWK
AWK
12.1% more per $
AWK
18.7%
6.7%
ESI
More free cash flow
ESI
ESI
$310.8M more FCF
ESI
$-74.2M
$-385.0M
AWK
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
ESI
ESI
Annualised
ESI
17.1%
12.6%
AWK

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Revenue
$1.3B
$840.0M
Net Profit
$238.0M
$56.0M
Gross Margin
38.4%
Operating Margin
31.9%
13.3%
Net Margin
18.7%
6.7%
Revenue YoY
5.8%
41.0%
Net Profit YoY
-0.4%
-43.0%
EPS (diluted)
$1.22
$0.23

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
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
$840.0M
Q4 25
$1.3B
$676.2M
Q3 25
$1.5B
$656.1M
Q2 25
$1.3B
$625.2M
Q1 25
$1.1B
$593.7M
Q4 24
$1.2B
$624.2M
Q3 24
$1.3B
$645.0M
Q2 24
$1.1B
$612.7M
Net Profit
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
$56.0M
Q4 25
$238.0M
$6.2M
Q3 25
$379.0M
$39.3M
Q2 25
$289.0M
$47.4M
Q1 25
$205.0M
$98.0M
Q4 24
$239.0M
$54.7M
Q3 24
$350.0M
$40.3M
Q2 24
$277.0M
$93.2M
Gross Margin
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
38.4%
Q4 25
40.9%
Q3 25
42.2%
Q2 25
42.6%
Q1 25
42.2%
Q4 24
41.0%
Q3 24
41.5%
Q2 24
43.6%
Operating Margin
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
13.3%
Q4 25
31.9%
10.3%
Q3 25
42.2%
15.4%
Q2 25
38.4%
15.1%
Q1 25
32.7%
13.0%
Q4 24
33.3%
12.0%
Q3 24
40.9%
14.7%
Q2 24
39.4%
15.7%
Net Margin
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
6.7%
Q4 25
18.7%
0.9%
Q3 25
26.1%
6.0%
Q2 25
22.7%
7.6%
Q1 25
18.1%
16.5%
Q4 24
19.9%
8.8%
Q3 24
26.4%
6.2%
Q2 24
24.3%
15.2%
EPS (diluted)
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
$0.23
Q4 25
$1.22
$0.03
Q3 25
$1.94
$0.16
Q2 25
$1.48
$0.20
Q1 25
$1.05
$0.40
Q4 24
$1.22
$0.22
Q3 24
$1.80
$0.17
Q2 24
$1.42
$0.39

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$98.0M
$177.3M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$12.8B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$10.8B
$2.7B
Total Assets
$35.4B
$5.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.18×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
$177.3M
Q4 25
$98.0M
$626.5M
Q3 25
$166.0M
$594.3M
Q2 25
$94.0M
$529.9M
Q1 25
$114.0M
$499.2M
Q4 24
$96.0M
$359.4M
Q3 24
$127.0M
$376.0M
Q2 24
$48.0M
$309.3M
Total Debt
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
Q4 25
$12.8B
$1.6B
Q3 25
$13.0B
$1.6B
Q2 25
$12.3B
$1.6B
Q1 25
$13.3B
$1.6B
Q4 24
$12.5B
$1.8B
Q3 24
$12.6B
$1.9B
Q2 24
$12.6B
$1.9B
Stockholders' Equity
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
$2.7B
Q4 25
$10.8B
$2.7B
Q3 25
$10.9B
$2.7B
Q2 25
$10.7B
$2.6B
Q1 25
$10.5B
$2.5B
Q4 24
$10.3B
$2.4B
Q3 24
$10.4B
$2.4B
Q2 24
$10.2B
$2.4B
Total Assets
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
$5.7B
Q4 25
$35.4B
$5.1B
Q3 25
$34.7B
$5.0B
Q2 25
$33.9B
$5.0B
Q1 25
$33.2B
$4.8B
Q4 24
$32.8B
$4.9B
Q3 24
$31.8B
$5.1B
Q2 24
$31.2B
$5.0B
Debt / Equity
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.18×
0.61×
Q3 25
1.19×
0.61×
Q2 25
1.15×
0.62×
Q1 25
1.26×
0.64×
Q4 24
1.21×
0.76×
Q3 24
1.21×
0.78×
Q2 24
1.24×
0.81×

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
ESI
ESI
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$663.0M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-385.0M
$-74.2M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-30.3%
-8.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
82.5%
3.0%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
2.79×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-1.1B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
Q4 25
$663.0M
Q3 25
$764.0M
$100.1M
Q2 25
$301.0M
Q1 25
$331.0M
$26.0M
Q4 24
$639.0M
Q3 24
$679.0M
$98.5M
Q2 24
$345.0M
Free Cash Flow
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
$-74.2M
Q4 25
$-385.0M
Q3 25
$-33.0M
$83.6M
Q2 25
$-432.0M
Q1 25
$-217.0M
$15.0M
Q4 24
$-255.0M
Q3 24
$-4.0M
$85.9M
Q2 24
$-325.0M
FCF Margin
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
-8.8%
Q4 25
-30.3%
Q3 25
-2.3%
12.7%
Q2 25
-34.0%
Q1 25
-19.1%
2.5%
Q4 24
-21.2%
Q3 24
-0.3%
13.3%
Q2 24
-28.5%
Capex Intensity
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
3.0%
Q4 25
82.5%
2.5%
Q3 25
54.8%
2.5%
Q2 25
57.6%
2.8%
Q1 25
48.3%
1.9%
Q4 24
74.4%
3.6%
Q3 24
51.4%
2.0%
Q2 24
58.8%
2.4%
Cash Conversion
AWK
AWK
ESI
ESI
Q1 26
Q4 25
2.79×
Q3 25
2.02×
2.55×
Q2 25
1.04×
Q1 25
1.61×
0.27×
Q4 24
2.67×
Q3 24
1.94×
2.44×
Q2 24
1.25×

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%

ESI
ESI

Electronics ex-Metals$377.8M45%
Pass-through Metals$255.7M30%
Other$206.5M25%

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