Equities Analysts Issue Forecasts for CWT FY2026 Earnings

Key Points

• Huntington Sec forecasts CWT FY2026 EPS of $2.40, below the cited consensus estimate of $2.57; it projects EPS of $2.67 in 2027 and $2.83 in 2028.
• California Water Service reported quarterly EPS of $1.05, missing the $1.16 consensus estimate, while revenue of $332.17 million matched expectations and rose 6.7% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment is moderately positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average $53.50 price target. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.335 per share, equivalent to a 2.7% yield.

California Water Service Group (NYSE:CWT - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Huntington Sec issued their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of California Water Service Group in a research note issued to investors on Friday, October 30th. Huntington Sec analyst M. Gaugler anticipates that the utilities provider will post earnings of $2.40 per share for the year. The consensus estimate for California Water Service Group's current full-year earnings is $2.57 per share. Huntington Sec also issued estimates for California Water Service Group's Q4 2026 earnings at $0.36 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.17 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.90 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.19 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.42 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.67 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.15 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.94 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $1.30 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.83 EPS.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on CWT. Freedom Broker raised shares of California Water Service Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $49.00 to $53.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of California Water Service Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 18th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of California Water Service Group in a report on Monday. Finally, Seaport Research Partners reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $53.00 target price on shares of California Water Service Group in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $53.50.

California Water Service Group Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of CWT opened at $49.07 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a current ratio of 0.71. California Water Service Group has a one year low of $41.29 and a one year high of $53.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.91, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.47. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $47.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $46.70.

California Water Service Group (NYSE:CWT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The utilities provider reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.16 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $332.17 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $332.17 million. California Water Service Group had a net margin of 12.78% and a return on equity of 7.75%. The business's revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.03 EPS.

Institutional Trading of California Water Service Group

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CWT. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. purchased a new stake in California Water Service Group during the second quarter worth about $6,009,000. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in shares of California Water Service Group by 129.1% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 52,883 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $2,398,000 after purchasing an additional 29,797 shares during the period. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS purchased a new position in shares of California Water Service Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,927,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new position in shares of California Water Service Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,061,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in shares of California Water Service Group by 416.9% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 257,970 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $11,696,000 after purchasing an additional 208,061 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.78% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Thomas M. Krummel sold 3,700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.37, for a total transaction of $186,369.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 20,104 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,012,638.48. This trade represents a 15.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Lester A. Snow sold 500 shares of California Water Service Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.21, for a total transaction of $25,105.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 17,817 shares in the company, valued at $894,591.57. This trade represents a 2.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.78% of the company's stock.

California Water Service Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.3350 per share. This represents a $1.34 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 9th. California Water Service Group's payout ratio is currently 59.82%.

More California Water Service Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting California Water Service Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Huntington forecasts EPS of $2.67 in 2027 and $2.83 in 2028, pointing to expected year-over-year earnings growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Its 2026 EPS estimate of $2.40 is below the cited consensus of $2.57. Huntington also forecasts $0.36 EPS for Q4 2026, which may weigh on near-term expectations.

About California Water Service Group

California Water Service Group NYSE: CWT is a holding company that provides water utility services through its regulated operating subsidiaries. The company supplies clean water for residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers, and its operations include the production, treatment, storage, distribution and delivery of water. Some of its subsidiaries also provide wastewater collection and treatment services.

The company's principal subsidiary, California Water Service Company, serves communities throughout California.

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