H2O AMERICA (HTO)
Utilities · Water Utilities · NASDAQ
H2O America is a diversified water and wastewater utility provider operating across major US markets, focused on reliable service delivery and regional growth.
What H2O AMERICA does
H2O America is a water and wastewater utility holding company that provides water service through its regulated subsidiaries in California, Connecticut, Maine, and Texas. The company also engages in contract water and sewer operations, real estate management, and wholesale water supply services. It operates primarily as a public utility provider, serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers across its regional footprints.
Themes: water infrastructure, utility regulation, wastewater management, regional utility consolidation
Fundamentals
- Price$63.48 as of 2026-08-21 close
- Market cap$2.7B as of 2026-08-21
- 1-year return+26.8% 2025-08-21 close $50.06 → 2026-08-21 close $63.48
- P/E24.77 as of 2026-08-24
- Net margin+12.9% as of 2026-08-24
- ROE+6.3% as of 2026-08-24
- Debt / equity1.03 as of 2026-08-24
- Revenue growth (YoY)+5.0% as of 2026-08-24
- Revenue CAGR (3y)+8.9% SEC XBRL
- Beta0.32 as of 2026-08-24
- Last reported earnings2026-07-27 SEC EDGAR Form 8-K (Item 2.02)
Dividend: yield +2.4%; at least 5 years of non-decreasing per-share dividends (SEC XBRL) — we do not hold the year before it, so the real streak may be longer.
How HTO compares in its sector
- price-to-earnings ratiotop 25% 67 covered Utilities peers, as of 2026-08-24
- net profit marginmiddle range 71 covered Utilities peers, as of 2026-08-24
- operating marginmiddle range 71 covered Utilities peers, as of 2026-08-24
- return on equitybottom 25% 72 covered Utilities peers, as of 2026-08-24
- 3-year revenue CAGRtop 25% 70 covered Utilities peers
- indicated dividend yieldbottom 25% 67 covered Utilities peers, as of 2026-08-24
Position among covered Utilities companies that report each metric (minimum 5 peers). A relative position within our covered catalog — not a valuation, quality, or investment judgment. A higher percentile is simply a higher value (for P/E, more expensive on earnings — never "better"). Informational only.
Top 10 scores & list membership
HTO is in the Utilities Long-term Top 10.
Utilities Long-term Top 10 — since 18 Aug 2026
Long-term score
53.9 #362 of 987 scored · #6 of 55 in Utilities
Capital return 71st (consecutive years of dividend increases 5 years) and long-term trend 71st (it is 5.4% below its highest point of the past year); weakest is financial health (37th, debt to equity 1).
Short-term score
47.0 #991 of 1,704 scored · #27 of 59 in Utilities
Catalysts 66th: analysts have raised their average price target by 0.9% since the prior reading; trend 61st: no clear trend either way (ADX below 20); weakest is volume and participation 10th: trading volume is about normal versus its 30-day average.
In this list since 18 Aug 2026 — currently 6th in the list (3 days)
- Entered 18 Aug 2026: first selection for this list at rank 10, score 50.9.
Scores as of 21 Aug 2026. Each bar is a percentile: how this company ranked against every company the score ranked, 0–100. A list is a published formula and its output, not a recommendation. Method version 2.
Dividend coverage (FY2025)
Covered by reported results. In FY2025, HTO's dividend was covered by reported results (earnings payout 57%, operating-cash-flow payout 24%). This describes past coverage, not a forecast.
- Earnings payout57% dividends / net income
- Operating-cash-flow payout24% dividends / operating cash flow — capital spending was not reported, so this does not subtract it
Coverage derived from reported SEC EDGAR XBRL figures for FY2025 (dividends paid vs. net income and free cash flow, same fiscal year). This describes PAST coverage for one fiscal year — it does not predict whether a dividend will be maintained, raised, or cut, and a one-year payout ratio can be distorted by non-recurring items. Informational only — not financial advice.
How H2O AMERICA looks technically
H2O AMERICA (HTO) is trading 14.8% above its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a longer-term uptrend. Its 50-day average crossed above its 200-day average about 125 trading days ago — a "golden cross", a bullish long-term signal. There is no clear trend right now — the price is choppy (ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 19, below the 25 that marks a real trend). Momentum is neutral — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 55, neither overbought (above 70) nor oversold (below 30). MACD, a trend-momentum gauge, turned bullish about 4 trading days ago (its momentum flipped positive). It made a new 20-day low about 15 trading days ago.
Trend
8
| Distance from the 200-day | it is trading 14.8% above its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a longer-term uptrend | +14.8% |
|---|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | its average price over the last 50 trading days — a short-term trend line — is $61.61 | $61.61 |
| 200-day moving average | its average price over the last 200 trading days — the long-term trend line — is $55.29 | $55.29 |
| Swing structure | each recent peak has been higher than the one before it and each dip has been shallower — the pattern chart-watchers call an uptrend, which describes where price has already been and not where it goes next | higher highs and higher lows |
| Last swing turn | its last significant turn was a swing low 17 calendar days ago — the swings before that are what the structure reading is measured on | 17 sessions |
| Wave structure | its recent swings can be read as a five-part upward sequence — what Elliott-wave chartists call an impulse — now in leg 5 of five; the labelling fails if price closes below 60.125. It is the only labelling that fits, though not with textbook proportions, and it describes the swings already printed, not what comes next. | possible upward five-wave sequence, in wave 5 (atypical proportions) |
| Since the 50/200 cross | its 50-day average crossed above its 200-day average about 125 trading days ago — a "golden cross", a bullish long-term signal | 125 sessions |
| Trend strength (14-day ADX) | there is no clear trend right now — the price is choppy (ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 19, below the 25 that marks a real trend) | 18.7 |
Momentum
3
| 14-day RSI | momentum is neutral — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 55, neither overbought (above 70) nor oversold (below 30) | 55.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Position in its 14-day range | it is trading in the upper half of its 14-day range ($60.13 to $64.55) — its "stochastic" reading is 76 out of 100, where 0 would mean closing exactly at the 14-session low and 100 exactly at the high. This measures WHERE the price sits inside its recent range, which is a different question from the RSI beside it: RSI is a momentum gauge, measuring how FAST the price has been moving, so a stock can drift quietly to the bottom of its range with an ordinary RSI, or fall sharply and still sit in the middle. It has been slipping within that range over the last few sessions. | 75.9 |
| Since the MACD crossed zero | MACD, a trend-momentum gauge, turned bullish about 4 trading days ago (its momentum flipped positive) | 4 sessions |
Range
12
| 52-week high | its highest closing price over the past year (about 252 trading days) was $67.09 | $67.09 |
|---|---|---|
| From the 52-week high | it is 5.4% below its 52-week high (its highest price of the past year) | -5.4% |
| Above the 52-week low | it is 45.1% above its 52-week low (its lowest price of the past year) | +45.1% |
| Below the 52-week high | it is 5.4% below its highest point of the past year | 5.4% |
| Since a 20-day breakout | it made a new 20-day low about 15 trading days ago | 15 sessions |
| Since a 55-day breakout | it made a new 55-day high about 26 trading days ago | 26 sessions |
| All-time high | its highest closing price on record is $83.88 (set on 2022-12-28) | $83.88 |
| Given back of the 52-week move | over the past year its closes ranged ($44.44 to $65.43), and it has given back only a small part of its rise from last year’s low — 9% of it. Chart-watchers call 61.8%-65% given back the "golden pocket" — for this company that is $51.79 to $52.46. It is watched widely enough that orders cluster there, which is the honest reason it matters; it is not a forecast. | 9.3% |
| From the all-time high | it is 24.3% below its all-time high | -24.3% |
| Nearest price level | it is trading 2.5% above a support level at $61.92 — a price it turned at twice since 2024-09-17, most recently on 2026-04-23. Since 2024-08-21 it has 11 such levels below the current price and 0 above. Levels like these describe where the price has reversed or paused before; they are not a forecast of where it will go. | -2.5% |
| All-time low | its lowest closing price on record is $1.13 (set on 1974-12-17) | $1.13 |
| Above the all-time low | it is 5542.7% above its all-time low | +5,543% |
Volatility
5
| Band width vs its own 6 months | day-to-day price swings are narrower than usual versus its own recent 6-month history (tighter than about 80% of it) | 20th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Typical daily range | in a typical session it travels about $1.34 between its high and its low — about 2.1% of its price. That is its "average true range" over the last 14 sessions, which also counts the distance from the previous close, so a day that opens well away from yesterday counts as the large move it was | $1.34 |
| Bollinger bands (20-day, ±2σ) | most of its recent trading has stayed between about $60.77 and $64.72 — the "Bollinger bands", a range drawn two standard deviations either side of its 20-day average price, which widens when the stock gets more volatile and narrows when it settles | $60.77 – $62.75 – $64.72 |
| Typical daily range (% of price) | its price moves about 2.1% in a typical session — calmer than most companies we cover. This is the average gap between a session's high and low over the last 14 sessions, counting overnight moves, expressed against the current price so it can be compared with companies trading at any price | 2.1% |
| Stretch from the 200-day average | it is trading 6.1 daily ranges above its 200-day average price (14.8% above it in plain percentage terms) — a way of asking how far it has stretched from its own average in units of how far it normally moves in a day, so a calm company and a jumpy one can be compared on the same scale | 6.1 daily ranges above its 200-day average |
Volume
1
| Volume vs its 30-day average | trading volume is about normal versus its 30-day average | 0.56× |
|---|
Analyst
2
| Change in the average price target | analysts have raised their average price target by 0.9% since the prior reading | +0.9% |
|---|---|---|
| Change in the consensus rating | the analyst consensus rating is unchanged since the prior reading | unchanged |
Candlestick patterns
2
| Since a doji | 2 sessions ago it opened and closed at almost the same price after trading through a wider range — a "doji", the classic picture of buyers and sellers finishing the session level | 2 sessions ago |
|---|---|---|
| Since a bullish engulfing | 1 session ago it opened below the previous session's close and finished above that session's open — a "bullish engulfing" pair, where one up day more than undid the down day before it | 1 session ago |
Price gaps
2
| Gap at the open | it opened on 2026-08-21 0.3% above the previous session's close — an overnight gap, the part of the move that happened while the market was shut, and traded back through that level before the close | +0.3% |
|---|---|---|
| Gap filled | a 3.2% gap down opened on 2026-06-09 has been "filled" 51 sessions ago — price traded back through the level the gap left behind, and it closed again during the very session that opened it | 51 sessions ago |
Price streaks
1
| Closing streak | it closed lower in its latest session, after a session that did not close lower — a single down day rather than a run | 1 session down |
|---|
Relative strength
4
| vs market, 1 month | over the past 1 month this stock lagged the market by 3.2 percentage points (the stock lost 0.8% while the market gained 2.3%) | -3.2% |
|---|---|---|
| vs market, 3 months | over the past 3 months this stock beat the market by 7.1 percentage points (the stock gained 10.2% while the market gained 3.1%) | +7.2% |
| vs market, 6 months | over the past 6 months this stock beat the market by 4.0 percentage points (the stock gained 15.0% while the market gained 11.1%) | +4.0% |
| vs market, 12 months | over the past 12 months this stock beat the market by 6.3 percentage points (the stock gained 26.8% while the market gained 20.5%) | +6.3% |
Signal agreement
2
| Bullish technical signals | 5 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it are currently in a bullish state: a "golden cross" — its 50-day average is above its 200-day, trading above its 200-day average, MACD momentum is positive, outperforming the market over 6 months, trading above the Ichimoku cloud — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 5 of 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Bearish technical signals | 0 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it are currently in a bearish state — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 0 of 9 |
Trend (Ichimoku cloud)
1
| Vs the Ichimoku cloud | trading 3.4% above the Ichimoku cloud — a band drawn from where its own highs and lows sat up to 2026-07-16 and projected forward over today's price, the side traders read as an established uptrend, with the band below acting as the level that would have to give way. The band itself is moderate, spanning 2.5% of the share price. | +3.4% |
|---|
Volume-weighted price
2
| Vs this year’s average price paid | the price is 9% above the average price paid so far this year, so the typical buyer over that stretch is showing a gain. That average is $58.12 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 150 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | +9.2% |
|---|---|---|
| Vs the average paid since it last reported | the price is 1% above the average price paid since it last reported on 2026-07-27 (its 8-K), so the typical buyer over that stretch is showing a gain. That average is $62.85 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 20 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | +1.0% |
Price levels it has turned at before
HTO last closed at $63.48 on 2026-08-21. Since 2024-08-21 it has turned at 11 prices below its last close and 0 above; the 3 nearest below are listed, nearest first.
| Level | Side | Distance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| $61.92 | Support | 2.5% below the last close | turned there twice · 2024-09-17 to 2026-04-23 |
| $60.29 | Support | 5.0% below the last close | turned there three times · 2024-10-16 to 2026-08-04 |
| $58.67 | Support | 7.6% below the last close | turned there four times · 2024-09-12 to 2026-06-10 |
A level is a price this company reversed or paused at more than once — they describe past behaviour, not a forecast of where the price will go.
Wave structure
Its recent swings can be read as a five-part upward sequence — what Elliott-wave chartists call an impulse — now in leg 5 of five.
This labelling fails — stops being a possible reading at all — if it closes below $60.13.
It is the only labelling that fits these swings, though its proportions are not the textbook ones. It was chosen from 3 labellings that survived the rules, counting shorter readings of the same bars.
On past moves of this shape the leg has usually ended somewhere between $62.63 and $66.68 — that is where it has tended to end if the count holds, not a forecast of where the price goes.
This labelling was already in place when we began recording count changes on 2026-08-13, so how long it has stood is not something we can say yet.
Read from daily closes as of 2026-08-21.
An Elliott-wave count describes the swings already printed and the level that would disprove it. It is not a forecast, a target, or advice.
Screens: Trading above the 200-day moving average · MACD just crossed bullish (12/26/9) · trendless / choppy (low ADX) · Stretched far above its 200-day average (6+ daily ranges) · Trading above the Ichimoku cloud · Elliott wave 5 candidates | Learn: moving average · golden cross · adx · rsi · macd · breakout
Based on daily closing prices as of 2026-08-21. Describes past price behavior only — informational, not financial advice.
Analyst consensus
- Consensus ratingBuy (1.71 mean, 1=Strong Buy…5=Strong Sell) — 7 analysts
- Mean price target$67.14 range $60.00 – $72.00; median $67.00
Analyst estimates, as of 2026-08-21. These are third-party analyst opinions and price targets, aggregated — not a recommendation, prediction, or advice from stocks-llm. Informational only.
Analyst EPS estimate for HTO
- Consensus EPS estimate$1.19 next reporting period, as of 2026-08-21
Change over time is not available yet: it needs two readings of the same reporting period at least 30 days apart, and we have been recording these estimates since 2026-08-04. An estimate for a DIFFERENT quarter is not a revision, so a reading from before the last report is never compared with one after it.
The consensus estimate for the next reporting period, and how it has moved between readings of that SAME period. A change is measured only between readings estimating one period — when a company reports, the consensus moves to the next quarter and the two numbers are not comparable. Informational only, not a forecast and not advice.
Key risks (from latest filing)
["Regulatory risk regarding water rates, authorized return on equity, and environmental compliance, including PFAS standards.","Dependence on successful completion and integration of the pending Quadvest acquisitions.","Exposure to physical risks, including climate change, drought, and catastrophic events like wildfires and earthquakes affecting infrastructure."]
What changed in the latest 10-Q
AI-assisted comparison of HTO's 10-Q filed 2026-04-29 against the prior one filed 2025-10-28.
Management's Discussion & Analysis (MD&A)
- Added:
- Newer filing references H2O America's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 (filed 2026-04-29)
- Newer filing states service connections increased to approximately 409,000 (from 407,000 in older filing)
- Newer filing references 'H2O America Land Company' instead of 'SJW Land Company' in Other Services description
- Newer filing specifies Quadvest acquisition amounts as $483.6 million and $56.4 million (newer filing, filed 2026-04-29)
- Newer filing references 2025 consolidated financial statements and Form 10-K filed February 26, 2026
- Newer filing specifies three months ended March 31, 2026 for critical accounting estimates review period
- Removed:
- Older filing's statement 'As previously disclosed, H2O America updated its segment presentation in the fourth quarter of 2024. Accordingly, prior period information has been recast to conform with the current period presentation.' is removed in newer filing
- Older filing references H2O America's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 (filed 2025-10-28)
- Older filing specifies Quadvest acquisition amounts as $483,600 and $56,400 in older format (2025-10-28)
- Older filing references 2024 consolidated financial statements and Form 10-K filed February 28, 2025
- Older filing specifies three and nine months ended September 30, 2025 for critical accounting estimates review period
- Reworded:
- Reference to 'Note 1 of "Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements"' in older filing changed to 'Note 1 "General"' in newer filing for new accounting pronouncements discussion
- Comma placement change: older filing reads 'entering markets in which we have no or limited direct prior experience and the potential loss' while newer filing reads 'entering markets in which we have no or limited direct prior experience, and the potential loss'
- Notes:
- The two filings cover different fiscal periods (Q1 2026 vs Q3 2025), so some changes reflect standard period updates rather than substantive policy changes
- The Quadvest acquisition amounts appear to be formatted differently ($483.6 million vs $483,600) but represent the same dollar values
- Text truncation in both source documents prevents full comparison of Results of Operations section
Risk Factors
- Added:
- Reference to name change from SJW Group to H2O America occurring in May 2025 (added in newer filing)
- Removed:
- Reference to 'recent U.S. government shutdown' removed from general economic conditions risk factor (present in older filing dated 2025-10-28, absent in newer filing dated 2026-04-29)
- Reworded:
- Punctuation change in Quadvest risk factor: 'together "Quadvest")' changed to 'together, "Quadvest")' (comma added after 'together')
- Table of Contents page numbers changed: Item 1A moved from page 33 to 34; Item 2 moved from page 35 to 34; Item 3 moved from page 35 to 34; Item 4 unchanged at page 35; Item 5 moved from page 36 to 35; Item 6 moved from page 37 to 36; Signatures moved from page 38 to 37
- Notes:
- The two filings report different reporting periods (Q1 2026 vs. Q3 2025), which explains differences in financial statement data but not the risk factor changes
- Financial statement data is substantially different due to different reporting periods and cannot be directly compared for purposes of identifying disclosure changes
AI-assisted comparison of two SEC filing sections. It describes wording and theme changes only, makes no materiality, legal, or investment judgement, and is not financial advice. Informational only — not financial advice.
Insider activity (SEC Form 4)
4 open-market purchases and 2 open-market sales by insiders in the last 90 days.
- Last 90 days4 buys ($2M) · 2 sells ($184943) — 1 buying, 1 selling insiders
- Last 180 days6 buys ($8M) · 2 sells ($184943) — 3 buying, 1 selling insiders
Activity heuristic: net buying (a transparent product heuristic from the counts above, not a prediction or advice)
Most recent open-market transaction: 2026-07-07. As of 2026-08-24.
View full insider trading history → View SEC Form 3/4/5 filingsAsk about HTO's insider activity →
Only open-market purchases (SEC code P) and sales (code S) are counted here. Option exercises, vesting/awards, gifts, and shares withheld for taxes are excluded — they are compensation or mechanical, not open-market conviction. Sales may be planned and non-discretionary (e.g. a Rule 10b5-1 plan) and are not necessarily bearish; open-market buying is not a recommendation to buy. Informational only — not financial advice.
Institutional ownership (13F)
5 institutional 13F filers reported holding HTO as of 2026-03-31 (quarter-end position, filed within 45 days).
- Distinct 13F filers 5
- Reported shares held 9,188,262
- Reported value $539,075,345
reported quarterly holdings change (2025-12-31 → 2026-03-31): 0 new, 3 increased, 2 decreased, 0 exited. Change counts cover only managers that filed 13F reports in BOTH quarters, derived between two quarter-end snapshots — not same-day trades; a single manager is never said to have "bought" or "sold".
Institutional holdings are quarter-end long positions reported on SEC Form 13F-HR, filed up to 45 days after the quarter ends — they are delayed, are not real-time trades, exclude short positions and most non-US securities, and are not investment advice. Any increase/decrease is a reported change between two quarterly snapshots, not a same-day purchase or sale. These are quarter-end snapshots from the 13F filings on SEC EDGAR, filed within 45 days — not real-time, and any change is a difference between two quarterly reports, not a same-day trade. Informational only — not financial advice.
Short interest (FINRA)
HTO had 5,082,968 shares of reported short interest as of the 2026-07-31 FINRA settlement date (delayed, bi-monthly; not real-time).
HTO had 12.1% of its shares outstanding sold short as of the 2026-07-31 FINRA settlement date (percent of FLOAT would be higher — float is not disclosed in the source). FINRA reported 10.13 days to cover at the same settlement.
- Reported short interest (shares) 5,082,968
- Short interest (% of shares outstanding) 12.1%
- Prior settlement (shares) 5,300,989
- Reported change -4.11%
- Days to cover (reported) 10.13
Reported to FINRA as of the 2026-07-31 settlement date. Short interest is reported to FINRA and published on a delayed, bi-monthly schedule (as of a settlement date, disseminated roughly eight business days later) — it is NOT real-time, does not cover every venue or all US trading, and is not a short-squeeze prediction or investment advice. Days-to-cover is the value FINRA reports; percent of float is not shown because the source file carries no share-count denominator — where a percent appears it is of shares OUTSTANDING, the larger base, and is therefore a floor on percent of float. Informational only — not financial advice.
Competitors & peers
- American Water Works (AWK)
- Essential Utilities (WTRG)
- California Water Service Group (CWT)
- Middlesex Water (MSEX)
- York Water (YORW)
AI-enriched competitor set. Linked names are companies covered by stocks-llm; other named peers are shown for reference only.
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Frequently asked questions
What does H2O AMERICA (HTO) do?
H2O America is a water and wastewater utility holding company that provides water service through its regulated subsidiaries in California, Connecticut, Maine, and Texas. The company also engages in contract water and sewer operations, real estate management, and wholesale water supply services. It operates primarily as a public utility provider, serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers across its regional footprints.
What sector is H2O AMERICA (HTO) in?
H2O AMERICA (HTO) is classified in the Utilities sector. Its industry is Water Utilities. It trades on NASDAQ.
Does HTO pay a dividend?
Yes — H2O AMERICA (HTO) pays a dividend, with an indicated yield of about 2.42% and at least 5 years of non-decreasing per-share dividends (SEC EDGAR XBRL) — we do not hold the year before it, so the real streak may be longer (market data, as of 2026-08-24). Informational only — not financial advice.
Who are H2O AMERICA's (HTO) competitors?
Notable peers of H2O AMERICA (HTO) include American Water Works, Essential Utilities, California Water Service Group, Middlesex Water and York Water. This peer set is informational only — not financial advice.
Is H2O AMERICA (HTO) overbought or oversold right now?
H2O AMERICA (HTO) is currently neither overbought nor oversold — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 55, in the neutral middle (as of 2026-08-21). RSI describes recent price momentum, not a forecast — informational only, not financial advice.
Where does stocks-llm's data on HTO come from?
Fundamentals and prices come from market data, as of 2026-08-24; company filings and profile facts come from SEC EDGAR. All figures are delayed daily-close data shown with their as-of date — informational only, not financial advice.
Fundamentals: market data, as of 2026-08-24. Filings: SEC EDGAR. Prices are delayed daily-close data.
Last updated 2026-08-21.
Informational only — NOT financial advice. All figures are delayed daily-close data from SEC EDGAR & market data, shown with their as-of date.