10 water stocks to watch

The best water stocks depend on your portfolio and investment goals—while volatility can be ideal for day traders, long-term investors will want to look to stocks with steadier gains over time.

10 popular water stocks to watch

We round up a selection of stocks in or related to the bottled or tap water industry, weighting the list more heavily towards popular mid- and large-cap stocks.

1. American Water Works (AWK)
2. Middlesex Water Company (MSEX)
3. California Water Service Group (CWT)
4. Global Water Resources (GWRS)
5. The York Water Company (YORW)
6. Essential Utilities (WTRG)
7. American States Water Company (AWR)
8. Evoqua Water Technologies (AQUA)
9. The Coca-Cola Company (KO)
10. Nestle SA ADR (NSRGY)

Compare investment accounts that help you research stocks

The water stocks industry is affected by a range of complex factors such as trade policies, regulations, and fluctuating supply and demand. So when considering water stocks to buy, it's important that you have access to vital information about a company's financial health, leadership team, and market positioning.

Our picks for platforms with research tools

How to invest in water stocks

1. Choose an online stock trading platform. Choose from our Top Picks above, use our comparison table below or jump straight to the best stock trading apps in Canada.
2. Sign up for an account. Provide your personal information and sign up.
3. Set up a funding method to pay for the transaction. Deposit funds into your account by linking your banking information.
4. Choose the stocks you want to buy. Search for the stock by name or ticker symbol like AWK or MSEX.
5. Place your order. Buy the stock. It's that simple.

Learn more about popular water stocks

We round up a selection of stocks in or related to the bottled or tap water industry, weighting the list more heavily towards popular mid- and large-cap US stocks.

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1. American Water Works (AWK)

American Water Works Company, Inc. , through its subsidiaries, provides water and wastewater services in the United States. It offers water and wastewater services on military installations; and undertakes contracts with municipal customers, primarily to operate and manage water and wastewater facilities, as well as offers other related services.

• Previous close price: $148.40
• Market capitalization: $28,939,632,640
• 1 year performance: 28.60%
• P/E ratio: 27.5325

Buy AWK stock on Interactive Brokers

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2. Middlesex Water Company (MSEX)

Middlesex Water Company owns and operates regulated water utility and wastewater systems in the United States. It operates in two segments, Regulated and Non-Regulated. The Regulated segment collects, treats, and distributes water on a retail and wholesale basis to residential, commercial, industrial, and fire protection customers; and provides regulated wastewater system in New Jersey, Pinelands Wastewater.

• Previous close price: $62.66
• Market capitalization: $1,121,269,376
• 1 year performance: 36.54%
• P/E ratio: 25.3684

Buy MSEX stock on Interactive Brokers

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3. California Water Service Group (CWT)

California Water Service Group, through its subsidiaries, provides water utility and other related services in California, Washington, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Texas. The company is involved in the production, purchase, storage, treatment, testing, distribution, and sale of water for domestic, industrial, public, and irrigation uses, as well as for fire protection services. It offers its services to approximately 499,400 customer connections in 100 California communities; approximately 6,700 water and wastewater customer connections on the islands of Kauai, Maui, Oahu, and Hawaii; approximately 38,300 customer connections in the Tacoma, Olympia, Graham, Spanaway, Puyallup, Rainier, Yelm, and Gig Harbor areas; and approximately 11,500 water and wastewater customer connections in Rio Communities, Rio Del Oro, Meadow Lake, Indian Hills, Squaw Valley, Elephant Butte, Morningstar, Sandia Knolls, Juan Tomas, Monterey, and Cypress Gardens systems.

• Previous close price: $50.89
• Market capitalization: $3,031,522,304
• 1 year performance: 15.21%
• P/E ratio: 15.6585

Buy CWT stock on Interactive Brokers

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4. Global Water Resources (GWRS)

Global Water Resources, Inc. , a water resource management company, owns, operates, and manages regulated water, wastewater, and recycled water systems in metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. It serves approximately 111,000 people in approximately 36,000 homes.

• Previous close price: $10.17
• Market capitalization: $279,125,824
• 1 year performance: -16.09%
• P/E ratio: 42.375

Buy GWRS stock on Interactive Brokers

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5. The York Water Company (YORW)

The York Water Company impounds, purifies, and distributes drinking water. It owns and operates three wastewater collection systems; ten wastewater collection and treatment systems; and two reservoirs, including Lake Williams and Lake Redman, which hold approximately 2. 5 billion gallons of water.

• Previous close price: $35.62
• Market capitalization: $512,550,400
• 1 year performance: 5.38%
• P/E ratio: 25.0845

Buy YORW stock on Interactive Brokers

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6. Essential Utilities (WTRG)

Essential Utilities, Inc. , through its subsidiaries, operates regulated utilities that provide water, wastewater, and natural gas services in the United States. It operates through Regulated Water; and Regulated Natural Gas segments.

• Previous close price: $40.53
• Market capitalization: $11,166,987,264
• 1 year performance: 17.44%
• P/E ratio: 18.6774

Buy WTRG stock on Interactive Brokers

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7. American States Water Company (AWR)

American States Water Company, through its subsidiaries, provides water and electric services to residential, commercial, industrial, and other customers in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Water, Electric, and Contracted Services. It purchases, produces, distributes, and sells water, as well as distributes electricity.

• Previous close price: $80.15
• Market capitalization: $3,086,456,320
• 1 year performance: 19.36%
• P/E ratio: 25.2839

Buy AWR stock on Interactive Brokers

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8. Evoqua Water Technologies (AQUA)

Evoqua Water Technologies Corp. provides water and wastewater treatment systems and technologies, and mobile and emergency water supply solutions and contract services for industrial, commercial, and municipal water treatment markets in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Integrated Solutions and Services, and Applied Product Technologies.

• Previous close price: $0.00
• Market capitalization: $6,103,815,680
• 1 year performance: N/A
• P/E ratio: 77.9375

Buy AQUA stock on Interactive Brokers

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9. The Coca-Cola Company (KO)

The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, manufactures and sells various nonalcoholic beverages in the United States and internationally. The company provides sparkling soft drinks and flavors; water, sports, coffee, and tea; juice, value-added dairy, and plant-based beverages; and other beverages. It also offers beverage concentrates and syrups, as well as fountain syrups to fountain retailers comprising restaurants and convenience stores.

• Previous close price: $73.00
• Market capitalization: $314,160,611,328
• 1 year performance: 25.26%
• P/E ratio: 29.6748

Buy KO stock on Interactive Brokers

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10. Nestle SA ADR (NSRGY)

Nestlé S. A. , together with its subsidiaries, operates as a food and beverage company.

• Previous close price: $107.74
• Market capitalization: $278,051,094,528
• 1 year performance: 5.95%
• P/E ratio: 21.0841

Buy NSRGY stock on Interactive Brokers

Buy water stocks from these online trading platforms

Compare special offers, low fees and a wide range of investment options among top trading platforms.

Note: The dollar amounts in the table below are in Canadian dollars.

Finder Score for stock trading platforms

To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Trading costs, account fees and features across 10+ stock trading platforms and apps are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score the better the platform - simple.

Read the full methodology

Related: Compare the best stock trading platforms in Canada

Bottom line

While it's possible to turn a profit investing in water stocks, keep in mind that—like any investment—water stocks are not immune to risk. These stocks are subject to fluctuating conditions both in the market and in the bottled or tap water industry, so carefully vet your picks before you invest. If you're new to investing or if it's been a while since you've taken a critical look at your investment accounts, compare brokers to make sure you're getting the best trading features for your needs.

Related: How to buy stocks in Canada

Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for all investors. Trading forex on leverage comes with a higher risk of losing money rapidly. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before making any trades.