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Essential Utilities (WTRG)
NYSE:WTRG
WTRG Stock Chart & Stats
$39.15
-$0.32(-0.91%)
At close: 4:00 PM EST
$39.15
-$0.32(-0.91%)
Day’s Range― - ―
52-Week Range$33.18 - $42.37
Previous CloseN/A
Volume278.91K
Average Volume (3M)1.71M
Market Cap
$10.85B
Enterprise Value$19.20B
Total Cash (Recent Filing)$6.40M
Total Debt (Recent Filing)$7.95B
Price to Earnings (P/E)15.9
Beta-0.10
Next Earnings
Feb 25, 2026EPS Estimate
0.4Next Dividend Ex-DateN/A
Dividend Yield3.48%
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.33
Shares Outstanding283,082,800
10 Day Avg. Volume1,346,064
30 Day Avg. Volume1,708,597
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio1.00
Price to Book (P/B)1.60
Price to Sales (P/S)4.77
P/FCF Ratio-17.78
Enterprise Value/Market Cap1.77
Enterprise Value/Revenue8.07
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit13.54
Enterprise Value/Ebitda14.14
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$42.50Price Target Upside8.56% Upside
Rating ConsensusHold
Number of Analyst Covering7
EPS Forecast (FY)N/A
Revenue Forecast (FY)N/A
Bulls Say, Bears Say
Bulls Say
Balance Sheet FlexibilityAnalyst notes the transaction should relieve weak credit metrics for WTRG by integrating it into a larger regulated platform, providing greater balance sheet latitude for investment and debt management.
Earnings AccretionAnalyst expects the merger to be accretive to earnings per share in the first full fiscal year following closing, supporting potential upward revisions to consensus earnings.
Operational And Regulatory SynergiesAnalyst highlights overlapping regulated service areas and top-tier state regulatory rankings that could allow the combined company to pursue shared PFAS remediation cost strategies and operational efficiencies.
Bears Say
Analyst Sentiment And Price OutlookAnalyst notes a downgrade in rating and a lower price target, signaling muted analyst conviction and an expectation that shares could remain range bound below the deal's implied valuation.
Deal ValuationAnalyst warns the announced premium on the transaction was relatively low, limiting immediate upside for target shareholders and tempering market enthusiasm.
Regulatory And Timeline RiskAnalyst flags the need for multiple state, shareholder and DOJ approvals, creating a prolonged approval process that increases timeline and execution risk for the merger.
Essential Utilities News
WTRG FAQ
What was Essential Utilities’s price range in the past 12 months?
Essential Utilities lowest stock price was $33.18 and its highest was $42.37 in the past 12 months.
What is Essential Utilities’s market cap?
Essential Utilities’s market cap is $10.85B.
When is Essential Utilities’s upcoming earnings report date?
Essential Utilities’s upcoming earnings report date is Feb 25, 2026 which is in 43 days.
How were Essential Utilities’s earnings last quarter?
Essential Utilities released its earnings results on Nov 04, 2025. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.283 by $0.047.
Is Essential Utilities overvalued?
According to Wall Street analysts Essential Utilities’s price is currently Undervalued.
Does Essential Utilities pay dividends?
Essential Utilities pays a Quarterly dividend of $0.343 which represents an annual dividend yield of 3.48%. See more information on Essential Utilities dividends here
What is Essential Utilities’s EPS estimate?
Essential Utilities’s EPS estimate is 0.4.
How many shares outstanding does Essential Utilities have?
Essential Utilities has 283,082,800 shares outstanding.
What happened to Essential Utilities’s price movement after its last earnings report?
Essential Utilities reported an EPS of $0.33 in its last earnings report, beating expectations of $0.283. Following the earnings report the stock price went up 3.334%.
Which hedge fund is a major shareholder of Essential Utilities?
Currently, no hedge funds are holding shares in WTRG
What is the TipRanks Smart Score and how is it calculated?
Smart Score combines eight research factors - such as analyst recommendations, hedge fund trends, and technical indicators - to measure a stock’s outlook. These signals are unified into a single score that reflects bullish or bearish momentum. See detailed methodology
Essential Utilities Stock Smart Score
Outperform
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Analyst Consensus
Hold
Average Price Target:
$42.50 (8.56% Upside)
$42.50 (8.56% Upside)
Blogger Sentiment
Bullish
WTRG Sentiment 100%
Sector Average 72%
Sector Average 72%
Hedge Fund Trend
Increased
By 3.2M Shares
Last Quarter.
Last Quarter.
Crowd Wisdom
Very Negative
Last 7 Days ▼ 3.7%
Last 30 Days ▼ 7.3%
Last 30 Days ▼ 7.3%
Technicals
SMA
Positive
20 days / 200 days
Momentum
18.99%
12-Months-Change
Fundamentals
Return on Equity
10.29%
Trailing 12-Months
Asset Growth
7.56%
Trailing 12-Months
Company Description
Essential Utilities
Essential Utilities, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates regulated utilities that provide water, wastewater, or natural gas services in the United States. It offers water services through operating and maintenance contract with municipal authorities and other parties. The company also provides non-utility raw water supply services for firms in the natural gas drilling industry; and water and sewer line protection solutions, and repair services to households through a third-party. It serves approximately 7.5 million residential water, commercial water, fire protection, industrial water, wastewater, and other water and utility customers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky under the Aqua and Peoples brands. The company was formerly known as Aqua America, Inc. and changed its name to Essential Utilities, Inc. in February 2020. Essential Utilities, Inc. was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
WTRG Company Deck
WTRG Earnings Call
Q3 2025
0:00 / 0:00
Earnings Call Sentiment|Positive
The earnings call presented several positive achievements, including significant earnings growth, infrastructure investments, and dividend increases. However, weather-related consumption declines and regulatory challenges present ongoing hurdles.View all WTRG earnings summariesWTRG Stock 12 Month Forecast
Average Price Target
$42.50
▲(8.56% Upside)
Technical Analysis
American States Water
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American Water
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California Water Service
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Companhia De Saneamento
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Middlesex Water Company
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Ownership Overview
0.24% Insiders
16.35% Mutual Funds
16.40% Other Institutional Investors
34.78% Public Companies and
Individual Investors