NYSE:WTRG Essential Utilities (WTRG) Stock Price, News & Analysis → Your $200 account credit is about to expire (From MarketBeat) (Ad) Free WTRG Stock Alerts $37.05 +0.25 (+0.68%) (As of 04:38 PM ET) Add Compare Share Share Today's Range$36.61▼$37.1350-Day Range$34.19▼$37.5652-Week Range$32.07▼$45.29Volume1.28 million shsAverage Volume1.86 million shsMarket Capitalization$10.13 billionP/E Ratio19.92Dividend Yield3.32%Price Target$43.00 Stock AnalysisStock AnalysisAnalyst ForecastsChartCompetitorsDividendEarningsFinancialsHeadlinesInsider TradesOptions ChainOwnershipSEC FilingsShort InterestSocial MediaSustainabilityStock AnalysisAnalyst ForecastsChartCompetitorsDividendEarningsFinancialsHeadlinesInsider TradesOptions ChainOwnershipSEC FilingsShort InterestSocial MediaSustainability Get Essential Utilities alerts: Email Address Essential Utilities MarketRank™ Stock AnalysisAnalyst RatingBuy3.00 Rating ScoreUpside/Downside16.1% Upside$43.00 Price TargetShort InterestHealthy2.17% of Shares Sold ShortDividend StrengthModerateBased on Four FactorsSustainability-2.18Upright™ Environmental ScoreNews Sentiment0.12Based on 2 Articles This WeekInsider TradingN/AProj. Earnings Growth5.50%From $2.00 to $2.11 Per ShareSee Full Details Hide Full Details Overall MarketRank™New Rank-Based ScoringMarketRank™ is calculated by averaging available category scores (with extra weight given to analysis and valuation), then ranking the company's weighted average against that of other companies.4.27 out of 5 starsUtilities Sector33rd out of 90 stocksWater Supply Industry4th out of 12 stocks 2.5 Analyst's Opinion Consensus RatingEssential Utilities has received a consensus rating of Buy. The company's average rating score is 3.00, and is based on 4 buy ratings, no hold ratings, and no sell ratings.Price Target Upside/DownsideAccording to analysts' consensus price target of $43.00, Essential Utilities has a forecasted upside of 16.1% from its current price of $37.05.Amount of Analyst CoverageEssential Utilities has only been the subject of 1 research reports in the past 90 days. Previous Next 3.0 Short Interest Percentage of Shares Shorted2.17% of the outstanding shares of Essential Utilities have been sold short.Short Interest Ratio / Days to CoverEssential Utilities has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 3.3, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.Change versus previous monthShort interest in Essential Utilities has recently increased by 6.65%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing significantly. Previous Next 2.5 Dividend Strength Dividend YieldEssential Utilities pays a meaningful dividend of 3.45%, higher than the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.Dividend GrowthEssential Utilities has only been increasing its dividend for 1 years.Dividend CoverageThe dividend payout ratio of Essential Utilities is 66.13%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.Dividend SustainabilityBased on earnings estimates, Essential Utilities will have a dividend payout ratio of 58.29% next year. This indicates that Essential Utilities will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Previous Next 3.1 Sustainability and ESG Overall ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ScoreEssential Utilities has received a 30.22% net impact score from Upright. The largest positive contribution comes from its "Societal infrastructure" impact, which is mostly driven by its "Natural gas distribution services", "Drinking water distribution services", and "Drinking water treatment services" products. See details.Environmental SustainabilityThe Environmental Impact score for Essential Utilities is -2.18. Previous Next 1.7 News and Social Media Coverage News SentimentEssential Utilities has a news sentiment score of 0.12. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a lower news sentiment than the 0.47 average news sentiment score of Utilities companies.News Coverage This WeekMarketBeat has tracked 2 news articles for Essential Utilities this week, compared to 4 articles on an average week.Search InterestOnly 6 people have searched for WTRG on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is a decrease of 0% compared to the previous 30 days.MarketBeat Follows10 people have added Essential Utilities to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 100% compared to the previous 30 days. Previous Next 1.7 Company Ownership Insider Buying vs. Insider SellingIn the past three months, Essential Utilities insiders have not sold or bought any company stock.Percentage Held by InsidersOnly 0.21% of the stock of Essential Utilities is held by insiders.Percentage Held by Institutions74.78% of the stock of Essential Utilities is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company. Previous Next 1.9 Earnings and Valuation Earnings GrowthEarnings for Essential Utilities are expected to grow by 5.50% in the coming year, from $2.00 to $2.11 per share.Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the MarketThe P/E ratio of Essential Utilities is 19.92, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 141.11.Price to Earnings Ratio vs. SectorThe P/E ratio of Essential Utilities is 19.92, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Utilities sector average P/E ratio of about 75.00.Price to Earnings Growth RatioEssential Utilities has a PEG Ratio of 3.19. PEG Ratios above 1 indicate that a company could be overvalued.Price to Book Value per Share RatioEssential Utilities has a P/B Ratio of 1.72. P/B Ratios below 3 indicates that a company is reasonably valued with respect to its assets and liabilities. Previous Next See Top Rated MarketRank™ Stocks Here Ad Gold Safe ExchangeTrump’s “Tax Free” Retirement Strategy Since 1924 — over one hundred years — the US dollar has lost nearly 18x its value. In other words, a dollar back then would buy $17.82 worth of goods in today's money. If you're planning on retiring any time soon…This poses a real problem.Protect your retirement savings from the inevitable devaluation of the dollar… About Essential Utilities Stock (NYSE:WTRG)Essential Utilities, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates regulated utilities that provide water, wastewater, or natural gas services in the United States. The company operates through Regulated Water and Regulated Natural Gas segments. It offers water services through operating and maintenance contract with municipal authorities and other parties. In addition, the company provides utility service line protection solutions and repair services to households. It serves approximately 5.5 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, 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.Read More WTRG Stock Price History View Price History Chart DataSkip Price History Chart 30 days | 90 days | 365 days | Advanced Chart WTRG Stock News HeadlinesMarch 27, 2024 | americanbankingnews.comEssential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) versus American Energy Partners (OTCMKTS:AEPTD) Critical ReviewMarch 25, 2024 | businesswire.comEssential Utilities to Report Earnings for Q1 2024March 28, 2024 | Behind the Markets (Ad)Urgent: Protect Your Investments from a Chinese InvasionAn alarming new reality is unfolding across America. The United States is bracing for the unthinkable - a potential Chinese invasion.March 18, 2024 | americanbankingnews.comZacks Research Brokers Decrease Earnings Estimates for Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG)March 17, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comEssential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) Hasn't Managed To Accelerate Its ReturnsMarch 3, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comEssential Utilities Full Year 2023 Earnings: Revenues DisappointMarch 1, 2024 | investorplace.com3 Water Stock Wonders to Quench Your Portfolio's Thirst for ProfitsFebruary 25, 2024 | barrons.comEssential Utilities Inc.March 28, 2024 | Gold Safe Exchange (Ad)Trump’s “Tax Free” Retirement Strategy Since 1924 — over one hundred years — the US dollar has lost nearly 18x its value. In other words, a dollar back then would buy $17.82 worth of goods in today's money. If you're planning on retiring any time soon…This poses a real problem.February 24, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comEssential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) Q4 2023 Earnings Call TranscriptFebruary 24, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comQ4 2023 Essential Utilities Inc Earnings CallFebruary 23, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comEssential Utilities Inc. (WTRG) Reports Full-Year 2023 Financial ResultsFebruary 23, 2024 | msn.comEssential Utilities declares $0.3071 dividendFebruary 22, 2024 | businesswire.comEssential Utilities Reports Financial Results for Full-Year 2023 and Announces GuidanceFebruary 21, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comEssential Declares June 2024 DividendFebruary 21, 2024 | businesswire.comEssential Declares June 2024 DividendFebruary 20, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comWhat's in Store for Essential Utilities (WTRG) in Q4 Earnings?February 18, 2024 | bizjournals.comPUC to hold meetings in Monroeville, Butler on Peoples rate increasesFebruary 12, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comEssential Utilities Insider Ups Holding By 22% During YearFebruary 7, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comEssential Utilities Inc's Dividend AnalysisFebruary 6, 2024 | msn.comEssential Utilities Set to Report Q4 and Full-Year 2023 Earnings, Announce GuidanceJanuary 30, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comEssential Utilities Completes Sale of Allegheny County Microgrid and District Energy Projects to CordiaJanuary 26, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comEstimating The Intrinsic Value Of Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG)January 20, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com15 Countries That Waste the Most WaterJanuary 12, 2024 | msn.comCalifornia Water Service Group (CWT) Unit Buys Water SystemJanuary 10, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comReasons to Add Essential Utilities (WTRG) to Your Portfolio NowJanuary 6, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comWhat Does Essential Utilities, Inc.'s (NYSE:WTRG) Share Price Indicate?See More Headlines Receive WTRG Stock News and Ratings via Email Sign-up to receive the latest news and ratings for Essential Utilities and its competitors with MarketBeat's FREE daily newsletter. Email Address Company Calendar Ex-Dividend for 3/1 Dividend2/08/2024Last Earnings2/23/2024Dividend Payable3/01/2024Today3/28/2024Next Earnings (Confirmed)5/02/2024Fiscal Year End12/31/2024Get Stock AlertsIndustry, Sector and Symbol Stock ExchangeNYSE SectorUtilities Industry Water supply Sub-IndustryN/A Current SymbolNYSE:WTRG CUSIPN/A CIK78128 Webwww.essential.co Phone(610) 527-8000Fax610-645-1061Employees3,258Year FoundedN/APrice Target and Rating Average Stock Price Target$43.00 High Stock Price Target$45.00 Low Stock Price Target$42.00 Potential Upside/Downside+16.2%Consensus RatingBuy Rating Score (0-4)3.00 Research Coverage4 Analysts Profitability EPS (Most Recent Fiscal Year)$1.86 Trailing P/E Ratio19.90 Forward P/E Ratio18.51 P/E Growth3.19Net Income$498.23 million Net Margins24.26% Pretax Margin21.02% Return on Equity8.68% Return on Assets3.06% Debt Debt-to-Equity Ratio1.16 Current Ratio0.62 Quick Ratio0.48 Sales & Book Value Annual Sales$2.05 billion Price / Sales4.93 Cash Flow$3.20 per share Price / Cash Flow11.55 Book Value$21.58 per share Price / Book1.72Miscellaneous Outstanding Shares273,520,000Free Float272,942,000Market Cap$10.12 billion OptionableOptionable Beta0.81 7 Stocks That Could Be Bigger Than Tesla, Nvidia, and GoogleGrowth stocks offer a lot of bang for your buck, and we've got the next upcoming superstars to strongly consider for your portfolio.Get This Free Report Key ExecutivesMr. Christopher H. Franklin (Age 59)Chairman, President & CEO Comp: $2.44MMr. Daniel J. Schuller Ph.D. (Age 54)Executive VP & CFO Comp: $1MMr. Christopher Paul Luning (Age 56)Executive VP & General Counsel Comp: $824.8kMr. Matthew R. Rhodes (Age 46)Executive Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development Comp: $922.71kMs. Christina KellySenior VP & Chief Human Resources OfficerMs. Colleen M. Arnold (Age 53)President of Aqua Water Comp: $592.55kMr. Robert A. Rubin (Age 61)Senior VP, Controller & Chief Accounting Officer Mr. Sumit NairVP & Chief Information OfficerMs. Whitney S. KellettSenior Vice President & Chief Administrative OfficerMr. Brian DingerdissenVice President of Investor Relations & TreasurerMore ExecutivesKey CompetitorsCompanhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo - SABESPNYSE:SBSCalifornia Water Service GroupNYSE:CWTAmerican States WaterNYSE:AWRAmerican Water WorksNYSE:AWKPinnacle West CapitalNYSE:PNWView All CompetitorsInsiders & InstitutionsPNC Financial Services Group Inc.Bought 6,105 shares on 3/22/2024Ownership: 0.072%Vanguard Group Inc.Bought 823,495 shares on 3/11/2024Ownership: 10.242%Trust Co. of VermontSold 1,145 shares on 3/8/2024Ownership: 0.001%Goldman Sachs Group Inc.Sold 215,757 shares on 3/1/2024Ownership: 0.314%EP Wealth Advisors LLCSold 587 shares on 2/28/2024Ownership: 0.002%View All Insider TransactionsView All Institutional Transactions WTRG Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions Should I buy or sell Essential Utilities stock right now? 4 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Essential Utilities in the last twelve months. There are currently 4 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "buy" WTRG shares. View WTRG analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks. What is Essential Utilities' stock price target for 2024? 4 brokerages have issued 12 month price targets for Essential Utilities' shares. Their WTRG share price targets range from $42.00 to $45.00. On average, they predict the company's share price to reach $43.00 in the next twelve months. This suggests a possible upside of 16.1% from the stock's current price. View analysts price targets for WTRG or view top-rated stocks among Wall Street analysts. How have WTRG shares performed in 2024? Essential Utilities' stock was trading at $37.35 at the beginning of 2024. Since then, WTRG stock has decreased by 0.8% and is now trading at $37.05. View the best growth stocks for 2024 here. When is Essential Utilities' next earnings date? The company is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings announcement on Thursday, May 2nd 2024. View our WTRG earnings forecast. How can I listen to Essential Utilities' earnings call? Essential Utilities will be holding an earnings conference call on Friday, May 3rd at 11:00 AM Eastern. Interested parties can register for or listen to the call using this link or dial in at 866-583-1035 with passcode "4938576". How were Essential Utilities' earnings last quarter? Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) announced its earnings results on Friday, February, 23rd. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $479.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $708.50 million. Essential Utilities had a net margin of 24.26% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 8.68%. Essential Utilities's revenue was down 32.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.44 EPS. How often does Essential Utilities pay dividends? What is the dividend yield for Essential Utilities? Essential Utilities declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be given a dividend of $0.3071 per share on Saturday, June 1st. This represents a $1.23 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.32%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. This is a boost from the stock's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. Read our dividend analysis for WTRG. Is Essential Utilities a good dividend stock? Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) pays an annual dividend of $1.23 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 3.45%. The company does not yet have a strong track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio is 66.13%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, WTRG will have a dividend payout ratio of 58.29% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for WTRG. What ETFs hold Essential Utilities' stock? ETFs with the largest weight of Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) stock in their portfolio include Global X Clean Water ETF (AQWA), Invesco S&P Global Water Index ETF (CGW), iShares Environmental Infrastructure and Industrials ETF (EFRA), Ecofin Global Water ESG Fund (EBLU), First Trust Water ETF (FIW), Invesco Water Resources ETF (PHO), Invesco Real Assets ESG ETF (IVRA) and ProShares S&P MidCap 400 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (REGL). What guidance has Essential Utilities issued on next quarter's earnings? Essential Utilities issued an update on its FY 2024 earnings guidance on Thursday, February, 22nd. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 1.960-2.000 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 2.010. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Who are Essential Utilities' major shareholders? Essential Utilities' stock is owned by many different retail and institutional investors. Top institutional investors include Vanguard Group Inc. (10.24%), Vanguard Group Inc. (10.25%), Legal & General Group Plc (1.28%), Northern Trust Corp (1.22%), Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. (1.12%) and Norges Bank (0.95%). Insiders that own company stock include Chris Franklin, Colleen Arnold, Daniel Schuller, Ellen T Ruff and Robert A Rubin. View institutional ownership trends. How do I buy shares of Essential Utilities? Shares of WTRG stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services. Compare Top Brokerages Here. This page (NYSE:WTRG) was last updated on 3/28/2024 by MarketBeat.com Staff From Our PartnersGrab Your Free Bitcoin Today!Crypto Swap ProfitsMake This $3 Trade the Instant the Opening Bell RingsMonument Traders AllianceTop Project Outperforms BTC in 2023…Crypto 101 MediaFed launches fourth dollar overhaulStansberry ResearchBREAKING: New AI Breakthrough Could Change Healthcare ForeverBehind the MarketsThis AI Trade Machine Made 1,729%* (With 89% Wins)Prosper Trading Academy“The Stock Market’s Bull Run is Far from Over” -BarronsVertical Research AdvisoryMost important medical advance in 100 yearsThe Oxford Club Adding Choose a watchlist: Watchlist Adding You have already added five stocks to your watchlist. Upgrade to MarketBeat All Access to add more stocks to your watchlist. Adding Essential Utilities, Inc. Please log in to your account or sign up in order to add this asset to your watchlist. 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