Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Sells 11,663 Shares of Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE:WTRG)

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. reduced its position in shares of Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE:WTRG - Free Report) by 20.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 44,897 shares of the company's stock after selling 11,663 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.'s holdings in Essential Utilities were worth $1,775,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WTRG. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Essential Utilities by 8.0% in the 1st quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 25,255 shares of the company's stock worth $998,000 after buying an additional 1,867 shares during the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new stake in Essential Utilities in the fourth quarter valued at $638,000. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. increased its position in Essential Utilities by 14.2% during the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 9,775 shares of the company's stock valued at $386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,218 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Essential Utilities by 10.7% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,071,868 shares of the company's stock worth $75,250,000 after purchasing an additional 199,936 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Essential Utilities by 13.1% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 92,272 shares of the company's stock worth $3,648,000 after purchasing an additional 10,718 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.78% of the company's stock.

Essential Utilities Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of WTRG stock traded down $0.29 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $36.82. 1,735,877 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,545,999. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $38.57 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $37.69. Essential Utilities Inc. has a 12-month low of $33.18 and a 12-month high of $41.78. The stock has a market cap of $10.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.51, a PEG ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 0.79.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WTRG. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Essential Utilities from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, April 20th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Essential Utilities from $47.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus 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.