Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) Shares Sold by Radnor Capital Management LLC

Radnor Capital Management LLC decreased its position in shares of Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG - Free Report) by 30.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 41,020 shares of the company's stock after selling 18,332 shares during the quarter. Radnor Capital Management LLC's holdings in Essential Utilities were worth $1,622,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in shares of Essential Utilities in the 4th quarter valued at $638,000. RWC Asset Management LLP acquired a new position in shares of Essential Utilities during the fourth quarter worth about $2,119,000. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Essential Utilities in the fourth quarter valued at about $504,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities by 10.7% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,071,868 shares of the company's stock valued at $75,250,000 after buying an additional 199,936 shares during the period. Finally, Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new position in Essential Utilities during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,290,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.78% of the company's stock.

Essential Utilities Stock Performance

NYSE WTRG traded up $0.38 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $38.27. The company had a trading volume of 1,226,405 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,497,279. Essential Utilities, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $33.18 and a fifty-two week high of $41.78. The firm has a market cap of $10.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $39.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $37.91.

Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 12th. The company reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $783.63 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $713.80 million. Essential Utilities had a net margin of 27.84% and a return on equity of 7.89%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.97 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Essential Utilities, Inc. will post 1.99 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WTRG. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Essential Utilities from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on Essential Utilities from $47.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Essential Utilities from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, April 20th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $43.50.

About Essential Utilities

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.