NYSE:WTRG Essential Utilities (WTRG) Stock Price, News & Analysis → Investors Alert: The Next Big Thing in Weight Loss (From Behind the Markets) (Ad) Free WTRG Stock Alerts $37.78 +0.10 (+0.27%) (As of 05/3/2024 ET) Add Compare Share Share Today's Range$37.43▼$38.8650-Day Range$33.88▼$37.7652-Week Range$32.07▼$43.74Volume1.47 million shsAverage Volume1.80 million shsMarket Capitalization$10.33 billionP/E Ratio17.91Dividend Yield3.26%Price Target$43.00 Stock AnalysisStock AnalysisAnalyst ForecastsChartCompetitorsDividendEarningsFinancialsHeadlinesInsider TradesOptions ChainOwnershipSEC FilingsShort InterestSocial MediaSustainabilityStock AnalysisAnalyst ForecastsChartCompetitorsDividendEarningsFinancialsHeadlinesInsider TradesOptions ChainOwnershipSEC FilingsShort InterestSocial MediaSustainability Get Essential Utilities alerts: Email Address Essential Utilities MarketRank™ Stock AnalysisAnalyst RatingBuy3.00 Rating ScoreUpside/Downside13.8% Upside$43.00 Price TargetShort InterestHealthy1.96% of Shares Sold ShortDividend StrengthStrongBased on Four FactorsSustainability-2.18Upright™ Environmental ScoreNews Sentiment0.54Based on 23 Articles This WeekInsider TradingSelling Shares$281,035 Sold Last QuarterProj. Earnings Growth5.50%From $2.00 to $2.11 Per ShareSee Full Details Hide Full Details Overall MarketRank™New Rank-Based ScoringMarketRank™ is calculated by averaging available category scores (with extra weight given to analysis and valuation), then ranking the company's weighted average against that of other companies.4.82 out of 5 starsUtilities Sector7th out of 552 stocksWater Supply Industry1st out of 72 stocks 2.5 Analyst's Opinion Consensus RatingEssential Utilities has received a consensus rating of Buy. The company's average rating score is 3.00, and is based on 4 buy ratings, no hold ratings, and no sell ratings.Amount of Analyst CoverageEssential Utilities has only been the subject of 1 research reports in the past 90 days. Previous Next 5.0 Short Interest Percentage of Shares Shorted1.96% of the outstanding shares of Essential Utilities have been sold short.Short Interest Ratio / Days to CoverEssential Utilities has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 3, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.Change versus previous monthShort interest in Essential Utilities has recently decreased by 18.64%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly. Previous Next 4.2 Dividend Strength Dividend YieldEssential Utilities pays a meaningful dividend of 3.26%, higher than the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.Dividend GrowthEssential Utilities has been increasing its dividend for 31 years.Dividend CoverageThe dividend payout ratio of Essential Utilities is 58.29%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.Dividend SustainabilityBased on earnings estimates, Essential Utilities will have a dividend payout ratio of 58.29% next year. This indicates that Essential Utilities will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Previous Next 3.1 Sustainability and ESG Overall ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ScoreEssential Utilities has received a 30.22% net impact score from Upright. The largest positive contribution comes from its "Societal infrastructure" impact, which is mostly driven by its "Natural gas distribution services", "Drinking water distribution services", and "Drinking water treatment services" products. See details.Environmental SustainabilityThe Environmental Impact score for Essential Utilities is -2.18. Previous Next 2.5 News and Social Media Coverage News SentimentEssential Utilities has a news sentiment score of 0.54. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This news sentiment score is similar to the average news sentiment of Utilities companies.News Coverage This WeekMarketBeat has tracked 23 news articles for Essential Utilities this week, compared to 5 articles on an average week.Search InterestOnly 8 people have searched for WTRG on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is a decrease of 0% compared to the previous 30 days.MarketBeat Follows12 people have added Essential Utilities to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 200% compared to the previous 30 days. Previous Next 2.5 Company Ownership Insider Buying vs. Insider SellingIn the past three months, Essential Utilities insiders have sold more of their company's stock than they have bought. Specifically, they have bought $0.00 in company stock and sold $281,035.00 in company stock.Percentage Held by InsidersOnly 0.21% of the stock of Essential Utilities is held by insiders.Percentage Held by Institutions74.78% of the stock of Essential Utilities is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company. Previous Next 1.9 Earnings and Valuation Earnings GrowthEarnings for Essential Utilities are expected to grow by 5.50% in the coming year, from $2.00 to $2.11 per share.Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the MarketThe P/E ratio of Essential Utilities is 17.91, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 142.91.Price to Earnings Ratio vs. SectorThe P/E ratio of Essential Utilities is 17.91, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Utilities sector average P/E ratio of about 79.84.Price to Earnings Growth RatioEssential Utilities has a PEG Ratio of 3.28. PEG Ratios above 1 indicate that a company could be overvalued.Price to Book Value per Share RatioEssential Utilities has a P/B Ratio of 1.75. P/B Ratios below 3 indicates that a company is reasonably valued with respect to its assets and liabilities. Previous Next See Top Rated MarketRank™ Stocks Here Ad Banyan Hill PublishingForget AI, Imperium Is Expected to Grow 320,00% in 3 YearsIf you think AI is big, then you have got to check out something I call Imperium… By my calculations, it’s set to grow 320,000% in three years. (You can see my calculations here.)Watch my video for all of the details About Essential Utilities Stock (NYSE:WTRG)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. In addition, the company provides utility service line protection solutions and repair services to households. It serves approximately 5.5 million residential water, commercial water, fire protection, industrial water, wastewater, and other water and utility customers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky under the Aqua and Peoples brands. The company was formerly known as Aqua America, Inc. and changed its name to Essential Utilities, Inc. in February 2020. Essential Utilities, Inc. was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.Read More WTRG Stock Price History View Price History Chart DataSkip Price History Chart 30 days | 90 days | 365 days | Advanced Chart WTRG Stock News HeadlinesMay 4, 2024 | insidertrades.comRobert A. Rubin Sells 2,023 Shares of Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) StockMay 4, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comEssential Utilities Inc (WTRG) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript Highlights: Robust Growth Amid ...May 4, 2024 | Crypto Swap Profits (Ad)Claim Your Complimentary Bitcoin RewardMany have already secured their free Bitcoin reward offered by our esteemed guest. How about you? In an effort to spread the word about our upcoming workshop, he's generously offering $10 in Bitcoin (BTC) to participants. Absolutely no strings attached.May 4, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comQ1 2024 Essential Utilities Inc Earnings CallMay 3, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comEssential Utilities Inc (WTRG) Surpasses Q1 Earnings Expectations with Strategic Sales and ...May 3, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comAqua Texas Begins $4M Main Replacement Project in Wimberley ValleyMay 2, 2024 | investorplace.comWTRG Stock Earnings: Essential Utilities Beats EPS, Misses Revenue for Q1 2024May 2, 2024 | businesswire.comEssential Utilities Reports Financial Results for Q1 2024May 4, 2024 | Crypto Swap Profits (Ad)Claim Your Complimentary Bitcoin RewardMany have already secured their free Bitcoin reward offered by our esteemed guest. How about you? In an effort to spread the word about our upcoming workshop, he's generously offering $10 in Bitcoin (BTC) to participants. Absolutely no strings attached.May 2, 2024 | businesswire.comEssential Utilities Announces Election of Christopher Bruner and Tamara Linde to Board of DirectorsApril 29, 2024 | nasdaq.comWTRG Quantitative Stock Analysis - Peter LynchApril 29, 2024 | americanbankingnews.comEssential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) to Post FY2024 Earnings of $1.98 Per Share, Seaport Res Ptn ForecastsApril 28, 2024 | investorplace.com7 Utility Stocks Built to Withstand Market MayhemApril 25, 2024 | businesswire.comEssential Utilities Donated $5.5 Million in 2023 to Strengthen Communities Across Service TerritoryApril 25, 2024 | americanbankingnews.comEssential Utilities (WTRG) Scheduled to Post Earnings on ThursdayApril 23, 2024 | msn.comEssential Utilities Inc. Appoints Natalie Chesko as President of Aqua New JerseyApril 20, 2024 | seekingalpha.com8 Stocks I'm Buying Amid The Dividend Stock SelloffApril 18, 2024 | businesswire.comEssential Utilities Names Natalie Chesko as New President of Aqua New JerseyApril 17, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comAqua Virginia Earns State Excellence Award for 19th Consecutive YearApril 17, 2024 | businesswire.comAqua New Jersey Celebrates Completion of Newest PFAS Treatment Facility at its Green Avenue Well Station in Lawrence TownshipApril 17, 2024 | finance.yahoo.comEssential Utilities Launches Third Annual Earth Day CelebrationApril 15, 2024 | finance.yahoo.com5.3% earnings growth over 3 years has not materialized into gains for Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) shareholders over that periodApril 14, 2024 | investorplace.com3 Stocks That Thrive in Turbulent Times: Buy Now for Massive GainsApril 14, 2024 | investorplace.comGoldilocks Investing: 7 Mid-Cap Stocks That Are Just RightApril 10, 2024 | businesswire.comEssential Utilities Releases Comment on EPA Promulgation of PFAS Maximum Contaminant LevelApril 9, 2024 | investorplace.comEternal Equities: 3 Stocks to Buy and Hold Until You RetireApril 9, 2024 | msn.comEssential Utilities Inc. Amplifies Community Support with Over $800,000 Donation to United WaySee More Headlines Receive WTRG Stock News and Ratings via Email Sign-up to receive the latest news and ratings for Essential Utilities and its competitors with MarketBeat's FREE daily newsletter. Email Address Company Calendar Ex-Dividend for 3/1 Dividend2/08/2024Last Earnings2/23/2024Dividend Payable3/01/2024Today5/04/2024Ex-Dividend for 6/1 Dividend5/09/2024Dividend Payable6/01/2024Next Earnings (Estimated)8/05/2024Fiscal Year End12/31/2024Get Stock AlertsIndustry, Sector and Symbol Stock ExchangeNYSE SectorUtilities Industry Water supply Sub-IndustryN/A Current SymbolNYSE:WTRG CUSIPN/A CIK78128 Webwww.essential.co Phone(610) 527-8000Fax610-645-1061Employees3,258Year FoundedN/APrice Target and Rating Average Stock Price Target$43.00 High Stock Price Target$45.00 Low Stock Price Target$42.00 Potential Upside/Downside+13.8%Consensus RatingBuy Rating Score (0-4)3.00 Research Coverage4 Analysts Profitability EPS (Most Recent Fiscal Year)$2.11 Trailing P/E Ratio17.91 Forward P/E Ratio18.89 P/E Growth3.28Net Income$498.23 million Net Margins29.52% Pretax Margin21.02% Return on Equity8.72% Return on Assets3.08% Debt Debt-to-Equity Ratio1.16 Current Ratio0.62 Quick Ratio0.48 Sales & Book Value Annual Sales$2.05 billion Price / Sales5.03 Cash Flow$3.09 per share Price / Cash Flow12.23 Book Value$21.58 per share Price / Book1.75Miscellaneous Outstanding Shares273,520,000Free Float272,942,000Market Cap$10.33 billion OptionableOptionable Beta0.80 The 10 Best AI Stocks to Own in 2024Wondering where to start (or end) with AI stocks? These 10 simple stocks can help investors build long-term wealth as artificial intelligence continues to grow into the future.Get This Free Report Key ExecutivesMr. Christopher H. Franklin (Age 59)Chairman, President & CEO Comp: $2.44MMr. Daniel J. Schuller Ph.D. (Age 54)Executive VP & CFO Comp: $1MMr. Christopher Paul Luning (Age 56)Executive VP & General Counsel Comp: $824.8kMr. Matthew R. Rhodes (Age 46)Executive Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development Comp: $922.71kMs. Christina KellySenior VP & Chief Human Resources OfficerMs. Colleen M. Arnold (Age 53)President of Aqua Water Comp: $592.55kMr. Robert A. Rubin (Age 61)Senior VP, Controller & Chief Accounting Officer Mr. Sumit NairVP & Chief Information OfficerMs. Whitney S. KellettSenior Vice President & Chief Administrative OfficerMr. Brian DingerdissenVice President of Investor Relations & TreasurerMore ExecutivesKey CompetitorsCompanhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo - SABESPNYSE:SBSCalifornia Water Service GroupNYSE:CWTAmerican States WaterNYSE:AWRAmerican Water WorksNYSE:AWKPinnacle West CapitalNYSE:PNWView All CompetitorsInsiders & InstitutionsBI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A SBought 10,254 shares on 5/3/2024Ownership: 0.007%Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.Sold 621 shares on 5/3/2024Ownership: 0.005%Daiwa Securities Group Inc.Sold 1,491 shares on 5/2/2024Ownership: 0.008%Diversified LLCSold 839 shares on 5/2/2024Ownership: 0.004%Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd.Bought 1,818 shares on 5/2/2024Ownership: 0.004%View All Insider TransactionsView All Institutional Transactions WTRG Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions Should I buy or sell Essential Utilities stock right now? 4 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Essential Utilities in the last twelve months. There are currently 4 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "buy" WTRG shares. View WTRG analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks. What is Essential Utilities' stock price target for 2024? 4 analysts have issued 1 year price targets for Essential Utilities' shares. Their WTRG share price targets range from $42.00 to $45.00. On average, they expect the company's stock price to reach $43.00 in the next twelve months. This suggests a possible upside of 13.8% from the stock's current price. View analysts price targets for WTRG or view top-rated stocks among Wall Street analysts. How have WTRG shares performed in 2024? Essential Utilities' stock was trading at $37.35 at the start of the year. Since then, WTRG stock has increased by 1.2% and is now trading at $37.78. View the best growth stocks for 2024 here. Are investors shorting Essential Utilities? Essential Utilities saw a decline in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 5,370,000 shares, a decline of 18.6% from the March 31st total of 6,600,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,790,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.0 days. View Essential Utilities' Short Interest. When is Essential Utilities' next earnings date? The company is scheduled to release its next quarterly earnings announcement on Monday, August 5th 2024. View our WTRG earnings forecast. How were Essential Utilities' earnings last quarter? Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) posted its earnings results on Friday, February, 23rd. The company reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $479.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $708.50 million. Essential Utilities had a net margin of 29.52% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 8.72%. The business's revenue was down 32.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.44 EPS. How often does Essential Utilities pay dividends? What is the dividend yield for Essential Utilities? Essential Utilities announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be given a dividend of $0.3071 per share on Saturday, June 1st. This represents a $1.23 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.25%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. This is a boost from the stock's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. Read our dividend analysis for WTRG. Is Essential Utilities a good dividend stock? Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) pays an annual dividend of $1.23 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 3.26%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 31 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 58.29%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, WTRG will have a dividend payout ratio of 58.29% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for WTRG. What ETFs hold Essential Utilities' stock? ETFs with the largest weight of Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) stock in their portfolio include Macquarie Global Listed Infrastructure ETF (BILD), Global X Clean Water ETF (AQWA), Invesco S&P Global Water Index ETF (CGW), Invesco Real Assets ESG ETF (IVRA), iShares Environmental Infrastructure and Industrials ETF (EFRA), First Trust Water ETF (FIW), Invesco Water Resources ETF (PHO) and Ecofin Global Water ESG Fund (EBLU). What guidance has Essential Utilities issued on next quarter's earnings? Essential Utilities issued an update on its FY 2024 earnings guidance on Friday, May, 3rd. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.000- for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 1.980. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Who are Essential Utilities' major shareholders? Essential Utilities' stock is owned by a variety of retail and institutional investors. Top institutional shareholders include Nordea Investment Management AB (1.25%), Tandem Investment Advisors Inc. (0.74%), Principal Financial Group Inc. (0.41%), Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. (0.20%), Retirement Systems of Alabama (0.13%) and New York State Teachers Retirement System (0.12%). Insiders that own company stock include Chris Franklin, Colleen Arnold, Daniel Schuller, Ellen T Ruff and Robert A Rubin. View institutional ownership trends. How do I buy shares of Essential Utilities? Shares of WTRG stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services. Compare Top Brokerages Here. This page (NYSE:WTRG) was last updated on 5/4/2024 by MarketBeat.com Staff From Our PartnersInvestors Alert: The Next Big Thing in Weight LossBehind the MarketsElon to Transform U.S. Economy? Porter & CompanyAutomatic Income (from home)Awesomely, LLCCould Your Accounts Be Frozen?Allegiance GoldThe asset beating inflation by 4xColonial MetalsThe A.I. story nobody is telling you (Read ASAP)TradeSmithHave You Seen Elon’s New A.I. Device? (Picture Inside)InvestorPlaceStock-Picking AI Predicts #1 Stock of 2024Altimetry Adding Choose a watchlist: Watchlist Adding You have already added five stocks to your watchlist. Upgrade to MarketBeat All Access to add more stocks to your watchlist. Adding Essential Utilities, Inc. Please log in to your account or sign up in order to add this asset to your watchlist. Get 30 Days of MarketBeat All Access Free Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools: Best-in-Class Portfolio Monitoring View the latest news, buy/sell ratings, SEC filings and insider transactions for your stocks. Compare your portfolio performance to leading indices and get personalized stock ideas based on your portfolio. Stock Ideas and Recommendations Get daily stock ideas from top-performing Wall Street analysts. Get short term trading ideas from the MarketBeat Idea Engine. View which stocks are hot on social media with MarketBeat's trending stocks report. Advanced Stock Screeners and Research Tools Identify stocks that meet your criteria using seven unique stock screeners. See what's happening in the market right now with MarketBeat's real-time news feed. Export data to Excel for your own analysis. Start Your 30-Day Free Trial Sign in to your free account to enjoy these benefits In-depth profiles and analysis for 20,000 public companies. Real-time analyst ratings, insider transactions, earnings data, and more. Our daily ratings and market update email newsletter. Sign in to your free account to enjoy all that MarketBeat has to offer. Sign In Create Account Your Email Address: Email Address Required Your Password: Password Required or Sign in with Facebook Sign in with Google Forgot your password? Your Email Address: Please enter your email address. Please enter a valid email address Choose a Password: Please enter your password. Your password must be at least 8 characters long and contain at least 1 number, 1 letter, and 1 special character. Create My Account (Free) or Sign in with Facebook Sign in with Google By creating a free account, you agree to our terms of service. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.