vs

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

American Water Works is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.3B vs $844.1M, roughly 1.5× KIRBY CORP). American Water Works runs the higher net margin — 18.7% vs 9.6%, a 9.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, KIRBY CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (7.4% vs 5.8%). KIRBY CORP produced more free cash flow last quarter ($49.4M vs $-385.0M). Over the past eight quarters, American Water Works's revenue compounded faster (12.6% CAGR vs 1.2%).

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...

Kirby Corporation, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is the largest tank barge operator in the United States, transporting bulk liquid products throughout the Mississippi River System, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, along all three U.S. Coasts, and in Alaska and Hawaii. Products transported by Kirby include petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products, and agricultural chemical products by tank barge. Kirby also owns and operates eight ocean-going barge and tug units transporting ...

AWK vs KEX — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
AWK
AWK
1.5× larger
AWK
$1.3B
$844.1M
KEX
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
KEX
KEX
+1.6% gap
KEX
7.4%
5.8%
AWK
Higher net margin
AWK
AWK
9.1% more per $
AWK
18.7%
9.6%
KEX
More free cash flow
KEX
KEX
$434.4M more FCF
KEX
$49.4M
$-385.0M
AWK
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
AWK
AWK
Annualised
AWK
12.6%
1.2%
KEX

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Revenue
$1.3B
$844.1M
Net Profit
$238.0M
$81.3M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
31.9%
12.8%
Net Margin
18.7%
9.6%
Revenue YoY
5.8%
7.4%
Net Profit YoY
-0.4%
6.6%
EPS (diluted)
$1.22
$1.50

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
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
$844.1M
Q4 25
$1.3B
$851.8M
Q3 25
$1.5B
$871.2M
Q2 25
$1.3B
$855.5M
Q1 25
$1.1B
$785.7M
Q4 24
$1.2B
$802.3M
Q3 24
$1.3B
$831.1M
Q2 24
$1.1B
$824.4M
Net Profit
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
$81.3M
Q4 25
$238.0M
$91.8M
Q3 25
$379.0M
$92.5M
Q2 25
$289.0M
$94.3M
Q1 25
$205.0M
$76.0M
Q4 24
$239.0M
$42.8M
Q3 24
$350.0M
$90.0M
Q2 24
$277.0M
$83.9M
Operating Margin
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
12.8%
Q4 25
31.9%
15.2%
Q3 25
42.2%
14.8%
Q2 25
38.4%
15.4%
Q1 25
32.7%
13.4%
Q4 24
33.3%
6.3%
Q3 24
40.9%
15.3%
Q2 24
39.4%
14.6%
Net Margin
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
9.6%
Q4 25
18.7%
10.8%
Q3 25
26.1%
10.6%
Q2 25
22.7%
11.0%
Q1 25
18.1%
9.7%
Q4 24
19.9%
5.3%
Q3 24
26.4%
10.8%
Q2 24
24.3%
10.2%
EPS (diluted)
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
$1.50
Q4 25
$1.22
$1.68
Q3 25
$1.94
$1.65
Q2 25
$1.48
$1.67
Q1 25
$1.05
$1.33
Q4 24
$1.22
$0.74
Q3 24
$1.80
$1.55
Q2 24
$1.42
$1.43

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$98.0M
$58.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$12.8B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$10.8B
$3.4B
Total Assets
$35.4B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.18×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
$58.0M
Q4 25
$98.0M
$78.8M
Q3 25
$166.0M
$47.0M
Q2 25
$94.0M
$68.4M
Q1 25
$114.0M
$51.1M
Q4 24
$96.0M
$74.4M
Q3 24
$127.0M
$67.1M
Q2 24
$48.0M
$53.5M
Total Debt
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
Q4 25
$12.8B
$919.3M
Q3 25
$13.0B
$1.0B
Q2 25
$12.3B
$1.1B
Q1 25
$13.3B
$1.1B
Q4 24
$12.5B
$874.9M
Q3 24
$12.6B
$978.6M
Q2 24
$12.6B
$1.0B
Stockholders' Equity
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
$3.4B
Q4 25
$10.8B
$3.4B
Q3 25
$10.9B
$3.4B
Q2 25
$10.7B
$3.4B
Q1 25
$10.5B
$3.3B
Q4 24
$10.3B
$3.4B
Q3 24
$10.4B
$3.3B
Q2 24
$10.2B
$3.3B
Total Assets
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
Q4 25
$35.4B
$6.0B
Q3 25
$34.7B
$6.1B
Q2 25
$33.9B
$6.1B
Q1 25
$33.2B
$6.0B
Q4 24
$32.8B
$5.9B
Q3 24
$31.8B
$5.9B
Q2 24
$31.2B
$5.9B
Debt / Equity
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.18×
0.27×
Q3 25
1.19×
0.31×
Q2 25
1.15×
0.33×
Q1 25
1.26×
0.33×
Q4 24
1.21×
0.26×
Q3 24
1.21×
0.30×
Q2 24
1.24×
0.32×

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
KEX
KEX
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$663.0M
$97.7M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-385.0M
$49.4M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-30.3%
5.9%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
82.5%
5.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
2.79×
1.20×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-1.1B
$497.3M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
$97.7M
Q4 25
$663.0M
$312.2M
Q3 25
$764.0M
$227.5M
Q2 25
$301.0M
$93.9M
Q1 25
$331.0M
$36.5M
Q4 24
$639.0M
$247.4M
Q3 24
$679.0M
$206.5M
Q2 24
$345.0M
$179.3M
Free Cash Flow
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
$49.4M
Q4 25
$-385.0M
$265.2M
Q3 25
$-33.0M
$160.3M
Q2 25
$-432.0M
$22.4M
Q1 25
$-217.0M
$-42.1M
Q4 24
$-255.0M
$150.7M
Q3 24
$-4.0M
$130.1M
Q2 24
$-325.0M
$90.8M
FCF Margin
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
5.9%
Q4 25
-30.3%
31.1%
Q3 25
-2.3%
18.4%
Q2 25
-34.0%
2.6%
Q1 25
-19.1%
-5.4%
Q4 24
-21.2%
18.8%
Q3 24
-0.3%
15.7%
Q2 24
-28.5%
11.0%
Capex Intensity
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
5.7%
Q4 25
82.5%
5.5%
Q3 25
54.8%
7.7%
Q2 25
57.6%
8.4%
Q1 25
48.3%
10.0%
Q4 24
74.4%
12.0%
Q3 24
51.4%
9.2%
Q2 24
58.8%
10.7%
Cash Conversion
AWK
AWK
KEX
KEX
Q1 26
1.20×
Q4 25
2.79×
3.40×
Q3 25
2.02×
2.46×
Q2 25
1.04×
1.00×
Q1 25
1.61×
0.48×
Q4 24
2.67×
5.78×
Q3 24
1.94×
2.30×
Q2 24
1.25×
2.14×

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%

KEX
KEX

Marine transportation$497.2M59%
Distribution and services$346.9M41%

Related Comparisons