Ossiam Has $581,000 Stock Holdings in Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG)

Ossiam trimmed its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG - Free Report) by 50.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,993 shares of the company's stock after selling 16,040 shares during the period. Ossiam's holdings in Essential Utilities were worth $581,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S acquired a new position in shares of Essential Utilities in the fourth quarter worth $363,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in Essential Utilities by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,601,633 shares of the company's stock valued at $58,170,000 after purchasing an additional 27,641 shares in the last quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. increased its position in Essential Utilities by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 1,196,946 shares of the company's stock worth $43,473,000 after purchasing an additional 32,548 shares during the last quarter. Commerce Bank raised its stake in shares of Essential Utilities by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 7,728 shares of the company's stock worth $281,000 after purchasing an additional 863 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co lifted its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 391,670 shares of the company's stock valued at $14,220,000 after buying an additional 9,512 shares during the last quarter. 74.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Essential Utilities Stock Performance

WTRG stock traded down $0.20 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $39.93. 163,151 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,457,799. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.00 billion, a PE ratio of 19.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.80. The business has a 50-day moving average of $38.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $37.96. Essential Utilities, Inc. has a 52 week low of $33.18 and a 52 week high of $41.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17.

Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $604.38 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $698.77 million. Essential Utilities had a return on equity of 7.89% and a net margin of 27.84%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Essential Utilities, Inc. will post 1.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Essential Utilities Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 13th will be given a dividend of $0.3255 per share. This represents a $1.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 13th. Essential Utilities's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.91%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on WTRG shares. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Essential Utilities from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $41.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Essential Utilities from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. StockNews.com upgraded Essential Utilities from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, April 20th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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.