Capital Markets: Water Utilities, March 2016

American States Water

American States Water (AWR) stock price has declined significantly over the past month.  Growth in its unregulated subsidiary was flat over the past year, and litigation before the California Public Utilities Commission will not be resolved until summer.  The stock price now stands 3.3% below its expected price for the first time in over a year.  AWR’s price has declined by 2.2% over the past 52 weeks.  The stock price stands 5% below the 10-week exponential moving average.

 

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AWR stock had been over-performing relative to the returns forecasted by the Capital Asset Pricing Model by an annual rate of 8.2% from January 2006 through December 2012. The company’s stock has performed strongly in 2013.

 

American Water Works

American Water Works (AWK) stock price has been increasing since early September on a wave of positive news including the granting of new water rates in New Jersey and a recent approval by the California Coastal Commission for a test slant well to test the feasibility of the technology for the company’s proposed desalination plant on the Monterey Peninsula. The recent price increases signaled a breakout from the lagging stock performance dating back to 2013 with announced decline in revenue from above average rainfall and cooler temperatures in its service areas.

Since then, the price has increased in tandem with its expected price and has finally reached its expected price.  AWK’s price has increased by 23.2% over the past 52 weeks and caught up with its expected price for the first time since 2013.  The stock price stands at 3% above its 10-week exponential moving average.

 

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A public filing by BlackRock who now owns 10% of AWK bumped the price temporarily in January 2015. The turnaround in the price in June 2015 was driven by the acquisition of Keystone Clearwater Solutions, a freshwater pipeline producer who pumps and stores water for natural gas producers.

AWK stock had been over performing relative to the returns forecasted by the Capital Asset Pricing Model by an annual rate of 12.3% from January 2006 through December 2012. AWK’s stock price generally followed the expected price forecasted by the Capital Asset Pricing Model (adjusted for historical over performance) until late August 2013.

 

Cal Water Services

California Water Service’s (CWT) stock price continued its sharp rebound from earlier price declines based on concerns that the mandatory water conservation due to California’s drought will reduce the company’s earnings prospects. The price now stands at 2.7% above its expected price.  CWT’s price has increased by 3.9% over the past 52 weeks. The price stands 3% above its 10-week exponential moving average. The stock price had been on an increasing trend since Fall 2015.

 

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CWT stock had been over performing relative to the returns forecasted by the Capital Asset Pricing Model by an annual rate of 2.4% from January 2006 through December 2012. Cal Water’s stock price generally followed the expected price forecasted by the Capital Asset Pricing Model (adjusted for historical over performance) in 2013 until mid-October. The increased pricing followed the announcement of a settlement of the company’s general rate case with the California Public Utilities Commission Office of Ratepayer Advocates.

 

San Jose Water

San Jose Water (SJW) stock price has remained on an upward run.  With a recent decline, the price is now 10.1% below its expected price. The price jump last October was in response to a long awaited California PUC decision on the company’s 2013 rate case, which proved temporary. SJW’s price has increased by 13.7% over the past 52 weeks and stands 3% above its 10-week exponential moving average.

 

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SJW stock had been over performing relative to the returns forecasted by the Capital Asset Pricing Model by an annual rate of 2.8% from January 2006 through December 2012. San Jose’s stock price performance has generally lagged behind the price forecasted by the Capital Asset Pricing Model (adjusted by historical over performance) for most of 2013 until December 2014. The company announced the appointment of a new Chief Administrative Officer on January 30, 2014.