Aurora Investment Counsel Makes New Investment in Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE:WTRG)

Aurora Investment Counsel purchased a new position in Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE:WTRG - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 69,414 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,744,000. Essential Utilities comprises about 1.5% of Aurora Investment Counsel's portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bfsg LLC grew its holdings in Essential Utilities by 22.1% in the 1st quarter. Bfsg LLC now owns 1,453 shares of the company's stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 263 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its stake in shares of Essential Utilities by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 24,652 shares of the company's stock valued at $895,000 after purchasing an additional 285 shares in the last quarter. Community Bank N.A. boosted its stake in shares of Essential Utilities by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Community Bank N.A. now owns 23,928 shares of the company's stock valued at $946,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares in the last quarter. Apella Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Essential Utilities by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 7,914 shares of the company's stock valued at $299,000 after purchasing an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HM Payson & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Essential Utilities by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 115,963 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,584,000 after purchasing an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.78% of the company's stock.

Essential Utilities Stock Up 0.2%

NYSE WTRG traded up $0.06 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $37.31. 1,494,298 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,550,078. Essential Utilities Inc. has a 52-week low of $33.18 and a 52-week high of $41.78. The firm has a market cap of $10.46 billion, a PE ratio of 16.73, a PEG ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 0.79. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $37.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $37.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.57.

Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 12th. The company reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.23. Essential Utilities had a net margin of 27.17% and a return on equity of 9.81%. The company had revenue of $783.63 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $713.80 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.97 EPS. Essential Utilities's revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Essential Utilities Inc. will post 1.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on WTRG shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Essential Utilities from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, April 20th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Essential Utilities from $47.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $43.50.

Essential Utilities Company Profile

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.