H2O America (NASDAQ:HTO) Shares Break Below 50-Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Shares slipped below the 50-day moving average: H2O America traded as low as $60.33 and last stood at $60.56, versus a 50-day average of $60.67.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive: The stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $64.86.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $1.04, missing estimates of $1.06, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.44 per share, equivalent to a 2.9% yield.

H2O America (NASDAQ:HTO - Get Free Report) shares passed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $60.67 and traded as low as $60.33. H2O America shares last traded at $60.56, with a volume of 534,006 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on HTO. Mizuho began coverage on shares of H2O America in a research note on Monday, November 2nd. They set an "outperform" rating and a $67.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of H2O America from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, August 16th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $65.00 price objective on shares of H2O America in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. Huntington assumed coverage on H2O America in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. They issued a "strong-buy" rating on the stock. Finally, Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $67.00 target price on shares of H2O America in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $64.86.

H2O America Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $2.93 billion, a PE ratio of 23.75, a P/E/G ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 0.35. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $60.67 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $59.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85.

H2O America (NASDAQ:HTO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 26th. The utilities provider reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.06 by ($0.02). H2O America had a return on equity of 6.03% and a net margin of 12.51%. The firm had revenue of $250.23 million during the quarter. As a group, research analysts expect that H2O America will post 2.98 EPS for the current year.

H2O America Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 9th will be paid a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 9th. H2O America's dividend payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On H2O America

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in HTO. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of H2O America during the second quarter worth $431,857,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in H2O America during the second quarter valued at $34,792,000. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC bought a new stake in H2O America in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,650,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in H2O America by 23.7% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,995,839 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $121,287,000 after acquiring an additional 382,268 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Resolution Capital Ltd lifted its stake in H2O America by 105.8% in the 1st quarter. Resolution Capital Ltd now owns 482,460 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $28,306,000 after purchasing an additional 248,005 shares in the last quarter. 84.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

H2O America Company Profile

H2O America is a water utility holding company that provides regulated water and wastewater services through its operating subsidiaries. Its services include water supply, treatment and distribution, as well as wastewater collection and treatment in some service areas. The company serves customers in California, Connecticut, Maine and Texas. Its utility operations include San Jose Water Company, Connecticut Water Company, Maine Water Company and Texas Water Company. H2O America was formerly known as SJW Group and adopted its current name in 2025.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.