WealthTrust Axiom LLC Makes New $476,000 Investment in Essential Utilities Inc. $WTRG

Key Points

• WealthTrust Axiom LLC made a new investment of approximately $476,000 in Essential Utilities Inc. during Q1, acquiring 12,048 shares of the company.
• Analysts have mixed opinions on the company's stock, with UBS upgrading the target price to $47.00 and a recent downgrade from a "hold" to a "sell" rating by Wall Street Zen.
• Essential Utilities has announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.3426 per share, reflecting a 3.5% dividend yield and a payout ratio of 58.80%.

WealthTrust Axiom LLC bought a new position in shares of Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE:WTRG - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 12,048 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $476,000.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Essential Utilities in the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. Valley National Advisers Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Essential Utilities in the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. American National Bank & Trust bought a new stake in shares of Essential Utilities in the 1st quarter worth approximately $35,000. National Pension Service raised its stake in Essential Utilities by 75.0% during the 1st quarter. National Pension Service now owns 950 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 407 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Essential Utilities during the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Institutional investors own 74.78% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on WTRG shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded Essential Utilities from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday. UBS Group lifted their target price on Essential Utilities from $42.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 15th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Essential Utilities from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $44.50.

Essential Utilities Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of Essential Utilities stock opened at $39.5940 on Monday. The stock's fifty day moving average is $37.76 and its 200-day moving average is $38.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.10 billion, a PE ratio of 16.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. Essential Utilities Inc. has a 12-month low of $33.18 and a 12-month high of $41.65.

Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $514.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $462.70 million. Essential Utilities had a return on equity of 10.10% and a net margin of 27.62%.Essential Utilities's revenue for the quarter was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.28 earnings per share. Essential Utilities has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.070-2.110 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Essential Utilities Inc. will post 1.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Essential Utilities Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 12th will be given a dividend of $0.3426 per share. This represents a $1.37 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.5%. This is a boost from Essential Utilities's previous quarterly dividend of $0.33. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 12th. Essential Utilities's payout ratio is presently 58.80%.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.