American Water Works and Essential Utilities said their proposed all-stock merger cleared another regulatory hurdle after the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio approved the transaction, the second favorable regulatory decision in less than a month.
The Ohio approval follows Kentucky’s sign-off on April 21, 2026. The companies also said shareholders of both firms approved the deal earlier this year with overwhelming margins.
The merger, announced on October 27, 2025, would create a combined utility serving more than 4.7 million water and wastewater customer connections and more than 740,000 gas customer connections. The combined company would operate under the American Water name and be headquartered in Camden, New Jersey.
The companies said they expect the merger to close by the end of the first quarter of 2027, pending remaining regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. As a result of these announcements, the company's shares have moved -0.05% on the market, and are now trading at a price of $37.49. Check out the company's full 8-K submission here.
