AWK vs BBUC vs BLGO Stock Comparison

American Water Works Company, Brookfield Business and Biolargo Prices as of Oct 26, 2026 Peers: Industry group
BBUC Brookfield Business Corp
$27.67 +8.8% 1M -24.6% 1Y
Market cap
$2.41B
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$26.95B
Div. yield
0.04%
Engineering and Construction Industrials
3 wins
BLGO Biolargo, Inc.
$0.07 -22.2% 1M -56.3% 1Y
Market cap
$22.15M
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$4.08M
Div. yield
–
Water Treatment Industrials
1 win

Head to Head

10 decided of 12

American Water Works Company leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (American Water Works Company 6, Brookfield Business 3, Biolargo 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionAWKBBUCBLGOLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $27.67B $2.41B $22.15M AWK
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 24.5x -29.7x -1.5x –
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 24.8x 3.1x — BBUC
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +6.9% -10.5% -70.9% AWK
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 21.3% -0.3% -354.8% AWK
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 6.2% — — –
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 5.5x 5.4x -0.2x BLGO
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.02% 0.04% 0.00% BBUC
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +0.1% -24.6% -56.3% AWK
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -3.9%/yr — -16.3%/yr AWK
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 22.8% 36.4% 91.8% AWK
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 54/100 60/100 11/100 BBUC

Percentile Scorecard

AWKBBUCBLGO

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisAWKBBUCBLGO
Valuation 8 #62 of 67 98 #2 of 52 10 #19 of 21
Growth 59 #27 of 65 22 #29 of 37 0 #19 of 19
Profitability 95 #4 of 64 78 #9 of 37 6 #16 of 17
Financial Health 49 #33 of 64 18 #47 of 57 10 #20 of 22
Shareholder Returns 58 #29 of 67 85 #5 of 27 30 #8 of 11
Overall 54 60 11
  • AWK ranked among 67 companies in Regulated Utilities
  • BBUC ranked among 57 companies in Construction Services
  • BLGO ranked among 22 companies in Environmental Equipment

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodAWKBBUCBLGOSPY
1 month +8.2%+8.8%-22.2% -0.8%
3 months +5.3%-12.0%-36.4% +3.5%
6 months +7.4%-17.4%-53.3% +7.0%
Year to date +8.6%-22.9%-61.1% +12.2%
1 year +0.1%-24.6%-56.3% +13.0%
3 years +21.7%+95.4%-56.3% +86.3%
3 years, per year +6.8%+25.0%-24.1% +23.1%
5 years -18.2%—-58.8% +68.6%
5 years, per year -3.9%—-16.3% +11.0%
10 years +95.4%—-89.9% +258.0%
10 years, per year +6.9%—-20.5% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureAWKBBUCBLGOSPY
Volatility, 1Y 22.8%36.4%91.8% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 21.2%39.7%135.9% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y -0.460.980.23 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.00-0.68-0.61 1.02
Max drawdown, 5Y -39.7%-61.5%-82.5% -25.4%
From 52-week high -1.1%-26.5%-65.0% -1.8%
52-week high $143.25$37.64$0.20 $779.14
52-week low $121.13$25.06$0.07 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleAWKBBUCBLGO
P/E now vs peer median 24.6xmedian 20.8x -29.5xmedian 25.7x -1.6xmedian 25.6x
P/S now vs peer median 5.3xmedian 2.9x 0.1xmedian 0.8x 5.6xmedian 2.5x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 15.2xmedian 13.1x 5.8xmedian 12.9x -1.4xmedian 19.1x
P/FCF now vs peer median -27.3xmedian 36.7x 0.9xmedian 22.5x -2.2xmedian 25.2x
P/B now vs peer median 2.4xmedian 1.7x 0.2xmedian 2.3x -8.4xmedian 2.0x
PEG now vs peer median 3.13median 2.23 —median 0.56 —median 1.54

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsAWKBBUCBLGO
Revenue $5.28B $26.95B $4.08M
Gross profit – $5.31B $1.63M
Operating income $1.95B $4.15B -$18.12M
Net income $1.13B $305.00M -$18.79M
Free cash flow -$1.03B $2.70B -$10.56M
R&D – – $3.27M
EPS (diluted) $5.76 – –
Cash & equivalents $191.00M $3.45B $2.19M
Total debt $15.99B $43.93B $4.85M
Shares (diluted) 196.00M – –
Enterprise value $27.08B -$17.81B $7.41M

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricAWKBBUCBLGO
P/E 24.6x -29.5x -1.6x
P/FCF -27.3x 0.9x -2.2x
P/Operating cash flow 12.1x 0.9x -2.2x
P/S 5.3x 0.1x 5.6x
P/B 2.4x 0.2x -8.4x
P/Tangible book 2.4x -1.0x -8.4x
EV/EBITDA 15.2x 5.8x -1.4x
EV/EBIT 22.5x 10.0x -1.4x
EV/Revenue 8.3x 1.5x 6.3x
EV/FCF -42.7x 15.4x -2.4x
EV/Operating cash flow 18.8x 15.4x -2.5x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 3.13 – –

Growth

14 metrics
MetricAWKBBUCBLGO
Revenue growth (1Y) 6.9% -10.5% -70.9%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 9.3% -13.2% -22.5%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – -13.8% -74.4%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – 5.2% -27.8%
Operating income growth (1Y) 8.3% -15.9% -185.8%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 11.0% 9.9% -60.3%
Net income growth (1Y) 4.2% -70.0% -184.9%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 8.1% -3.3% -62.6%
EPS growth (1Y) 3.6% – –
EPS CAGR (3Y) 7.9% – –
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 19.7% -34.9% -37.9%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 12.8% 54.1% -62.1%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -13.4% -34.9% -40.8%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -7.5% 51.7% -57.1%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricAWKBBUCBLGO
Gross margin – 19.7% 40.0%
EBITDA margin 54.6% 26.8% -434.2%
Operating margin 36.9% 15.4% -443.9%
Pretax margin 27.3% 1.4% -458.1%
Net margin 21.3% -0.3% -354.8%
FCF margin -19.5% 10.0% -258.6%
Operating cash flow margin 44.2% 10.0% -252.8%
Return on equity 9.9% – –
Return on assets 3.1% 0.4% -246.7%
Return on invested capital 6.2% – –
Return on capital employed 6.0% 6.4% -635.4%
Asset turnover 0.1x 0.3x 0.5x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.1x 8.9x 0.5x
Stock comp / revenue – – 59.3%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricAWKBBUCBLGO
Debt / assets 43.9% 55.7% 72.8%
Debt / equity 1.4x 2.8x -1.8x
Net debt / EBITDA 5.5x 5.4x -0.2x
Debt / FCF -15.5x 16.2x -0.5x
Liabilities / assets 68.0% 80.4% 140.9%
Equity / assets 32.0% 19.6% -40.9%
Interest coverage 3.0x – -22.5x
Current ratio 0.5x 1.4x 0.7x
Quick ratio 0.3x 0.9x 0.6x
Cash ratio 0.1x 0.4x 0.5x
Altman Z-score 1.06 – -42.03

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricAWKBBUCBLGO
Dividend yield 2.4% 2.9% –
Net buyback yield – – -2.5%
Shareholder yield 2.4% 2.9% -2.5%
Payout ratio (earnings) 58.3% 31.1% –
Payout ratio (FCF) -63.9% 3.5% –
Dividend growth (1Y) 8.0% – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) 9.9% -2.3% –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusAWKBBUCBLGO
Forward P/E 24.8xFY2026 3.1xFY2026 –
EPS, next fiscal year $5.72FY2026 $8.99FY2026 $-0.05FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +0.5%FY2026 +54.5%FY2026 –
EPS growth, the year after +10.8% +9.0% –
Revenue, next fiscal year $5.14BFY2026 $5.12BFY2026 $5.48MFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +0.0%FY2026 -51.8%FY2026 -29.4%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +9.9% -100.0% +180.2%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersAWKBBUCBLGO
Held by institutions 100.0% 55.0% –
Institutions holding 1,128 149 –
Change in shares held, QoQ +8.0% +13.5% –
Institutions buying 530 93 –
Institutions selling 416 33 –
Buyers to sellers 1.27 2.82 –

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

AWKBBUCBLGO
AWK 1.00 -0.07 0.06
BBUC -0.07 1.00 -0.08
BLGO 0.06 -0.08 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, AWK, BBUC and BLGO?

American Water Works Company (AWK) is the largest by market capitalisation: American Water Works Company (AWK) $27.67B, Brookfield Business (BBUC) $2.41B, Biolargo (BLGO) $22.15M.

Which company is growing faster?

American Water Works Company (AWK) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: American Water Works Company (AWK) +6.9%, Brookfield Business (BBUC) -10.5%, Biolargo (BLGO) -70.9%.

Which company is more profitable?

American Water Works Company (AWK) has the highest net margin (American Water Works Company (AWK) 21.3%, Brookfield Business (BBUC) -0.3%, Biolargo (BLGO) -354.8%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year American Water Works Company (AWK) returned the most: American Water Works Company (AWK) +0.1%, Brookfield Business (BBUC) -24.6%, Biolargo (BLGO) -56.3%. Over five years, American Water Works Company (AWK) compounded fastest (American Water Works Company (AWK) -3.9%/yr, Biolargo (BLGO) -16.3%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Brookfield Business (BBUC) has the highest dividend yield: American Water Works Company (AWK) 0.02%, Brookfield Business (BBUC) 0.04%, Biolargo (BLGO) 0.00%. Biolargo (BLGO) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, American Water Works Company (AWK) has been the steadiest (American Water Works Company (AWK) 22.8%, Brookfield Business (BBUC) 36.4%, Biolargo (BLGO) 91.8%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, AWK, BBUC and BLGO?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, American Water Works Company (AWK) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.