AWK vs BEKE Comparison

American Water Works is the largest investor-owned US water and wastewater utility, serving nearly 4 million customers in 14 states. It provides water and wastewater services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers and operates predominantly in regulated markets. The company's nonregulated business is water services for military bases, which operates under long-term contracts with regulated-like returns. The proposed Essential Utilities acquisition would add regulated water and wastewater utilities in Ohio, North Carolina, and Texas while increasing its presence in Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia.

KE Holdings, or Beike, is a large residential real estate sales and rental brokerage company in China. Founded in 2001, the company operates through self-owned Lianjia stores in Beijing and Shanghai and connected third-party agencies, including franchise brand Deyou in other cities, with commissions charged on existing-home and new-home transactions. Leveraging an online-offline hybrid model, Beike also attract clients through its namesake online marketplace. The company tapped into home renovation services by acquiring Shengdu Home Decoration in 2022. As of the end of 2024, Beike's co-founders collectively control the company, while Tencent and its affiliates share 8% of voting power.