Question 1

Do analysts recommend WTRG or LNT?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities currently has a consensus target price of $43.00, suggesting a potential upside of 7.02%. Alliant Energy has a consensus target price of $76.82, suggesting a potential upside of 13.20%. Given Alliant Energy's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Alliant Energy is more favorable than Essential Utilities. Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Essential Utilities 1 Sell rating(s) 4 Hold rating(s) 2 Buy rating(s) 2 Strong Buy rating(s) 2.56 Alliant Energy 0 Sell rating(s) 5 Hold rating(s) 9 Buy rating(s) 0 Strong Buy rating(s) 2.64

Question 2

Is WTRG or LNT a better dividend stock?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities pays an annual dividend of $1.44 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. Alliant Energy pays an annual dividend of $2.14 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.2%. Essential Utilities pays out 73.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Alliant Energy pays out 67.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Essential Utilities has raised its dividend for 32 consecutive years and Alliant Energy has raised its dividend for 22 consecutive years. Essential Utilities is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Question 3

Which has stronger valuation and earnings, WTRG or LNT?

Accepted Answer

Alliant Energy has higher revenue and earnings than Essential Utilities. Essential Utilities is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Alliant Energy, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Essential Utilities $2.47B 4.61 $616.37M $1.96 20.50 Alliant Energy $4.36B 4.03 $810M $3.16 21.47

Question 4

Do institutionals and insiders hold more shares of WTRG or LNT?

Accepted Answer

74.8% of Essential Utilities shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 79.9% of Alliant Energy shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.4% of Essential Utilities shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Alliant Energy shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Question 5

Is WTRG or LNT more profitable?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities has a net margin of 21.60% compared to Alliant Energy's net margin of 18.45%. Alliant Energy's return on equity of 11.16% beat Essential Utilities' return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Essential Utilities 21.60% 8.23% 2.91% Alliant Energy 18.45% 11.16% 3.31%

Question 6

Which has more volatility & risk, WTRG or LNT?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities has a beta of 0.64, indicating that its stock price is 36% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Alliant Energy has a beta of 0.55, indicating that its stock price is 45% less volatile than the broader market.

Question 7

Does the media favor WTRG or LNT?

Accepted Answer

In the previous week, Alliant Energy had 5 more articles in the media than Essential Utilities. MarketBeat recorded 20 mentions for Alliant Energy and 15 mentions for Essential Utilities. Essential Utilities' average media sentiment score of 1.36 beat Alliant Energy's score of 0.92 indicating that Essential Utilities is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Essential Utilities 13 Very Positive mention(s) 0 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Alliant Energy 9 Very Positive mention(s) 0 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Question 8

Do analysts prefer WTRG or MSEX?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities currently has a consensus price target of $43.00, suggesting a potential upside of 7.02%. Middlesex Water has a consensus price target of $61.67, suggesting a potential upside of 5.85%. Given Essential Utilities' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Essential Utilities is more favorable than Middlesex Water. Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Essential Utilities 1 Sell rating(s) 4 Hold rating(s) 2 Buy rating(s) 2 Strong Buy rating(s) 2.56 Middlesex Water 0 Sell rating(s) 1 Hold rating(s) 1 Buy rating(s) 0 Strong Buy rating(s) 2.50

Question 9

Is WTRG or MSEX a better dividend stock?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities pays an annual dividend of $1.44 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. Middlesex Water pays an annual dividend of $1.44 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.5%. Essential Utilities pays out 73.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Middlesex Water pays out 55.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Essential Utilities has increased its dividend for 32 consecutive years and Middlesex Water has increased its dividend for 52 consecutive years.

Question 10

Which has higher earnings and valuation, WTRG or MSEX?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities has higher revenue and earnings than Middlesex Water. Essential Utilities is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Middlesex Water, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Essential Utilities $2.47B 4.61 $616.37M $1.96 20.50 Middlesex Water $194.69M 5.64 $42.82M $2.59 22.49

Question 11

Do institutionals & insiders hold more shares of WTRG or MSEX?

Accepted Answer

74.8% of Essential Utilities shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 79.5% of Middlesex Water shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.4% of Essential Utilities shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.9% of Middlesex Water shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Question 12

Is WTRG or MSEX more profitable?

Accepted Answer

Middlesex Water has a net margin of 23.26% compared to Essential Utilities' net margin of 21.60%. Middlesex Water's return on equity of 9.59% beat Essential Utilities' return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Essential Utilities 21.60% 8.23% 2.91% Middlesex Water 23.26% 9.59% 3.48%

Question 13

Which has more risk & volatility, WTRG or MSEX?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities has a beta of 0.64, meaning that its share price is 36% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Middlesex Water has a beta of 0.75, meaning that its share price is 25% less volatile than the broader market.

Question 14

Does the media prefer WTRG or MSEX?

Accepted Answer

In the previous week, Essential Utilities had 14 more articles in the media than Middlesex Water. MarketBeat recorded 15 mentions for Essential Utilities and 1 mentions for Middlesex Water. Middlesex Water's average media sentiment score of 1.67 beat Essential Utilities' score of 1.36 indicating that Middlesex Water is being referred to more favorably in the news media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Essential Utilities 13 Very Positive mention(s) 0 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Middlesex Water 1 Very Positive mention(s) 0 Positive mention(s) 0 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Very Positive

Question 15

Do analysts rate WTRG or AWK?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities currently has a consensus target price of $43.00, indicating a potential upside of 7.02%. American Water Works has a consensus target price of $138.78, indicating a potential upside of 2.30%. Given Essential Utilities' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe Essential Utilities is more favorable than American Water Works. Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Essential Utilities 1 Sell rating(s) 4 Hold rating(s) 2 Buy rating(s) 2 Strong Buy rating(s) 2.56 American Water Works 1 Sell rating(s) 8 Hold rating(s) 1 Buy rating(s) 0 Strong Buy rating(s) 2.00

Question 16

Is WTRG or AWK a better dividend stock?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities pays an annual dividend of $1.44 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. American Water Works pays an annual dividend of $3.58 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%. Essential Utilities pays out 73.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. American Water Works pays out 62.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Essential Utilities has raised its dividend for 32 consecutive years and American Water Works has raised its dividend for 18 consecutive years. Essential Utilities is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Question 17

Which has stronger valuation & earnings, WTRG or AWK?

Accepted Answer

American Water Works has higher revenue and earnings than Essential Utilities. Essential Utilities is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than American Water Works, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Essential Utilities $2.47B 4.61 $616.37M $1.96 20.50 American Water Works $5.14B 5.25 $1.11B $5.77 23.51

Question 18

Do institutionals and insiders hold more shares of WTRG or AWK?

Accepted Answer

74.8% of Essential Utilities shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 86.6% of American Water Works shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.4% of Essential Utilities shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.1% of American Water Works shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Question 19

Is WTRG or AWK more profitable?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities has a net margin of 21.60% compared to American Water Works' net margin of 21.35%. American Water Works' return on equity of 10.20% beat Essential Utilities' return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Essential Utilities 21.60% 8.23% 2.91% American Water Works 21.35% 10.20% 3.20%

Question 20

Which has more volatility & risk, WTRG or AWK?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities has a beta of 0.64, indicating that its share price is 36% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, American Water Works has a beta of 0.6, indicating that its share price is 40% less volatile than the broader market.

Question 21

Does the media refer more to WTRG or AWK?

Accepted Answer

In the previous week, American Water Works had 25 more articles in the media than Essential Utilities. MarketBeat recorded 40 mentions for American Water Works and 15 mentions for Essential Utilities. Essential Utilities' average media sentiment score of 1.36 beat American Water Works' score of 0.99 indicating that Essential Utilities is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Essential Utilities 13 Very Positive mention(s) 0 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive American Water Works 22 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 17 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Question 22

Do analysts prefer AWR or WTRG?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities has a consensus price target of $43.00, suggesting a potential upside of 7.02%. Given Essential Utilities' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Essential Utilities is more favorable than American States Water. Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score American States Water 0 Sell rating(s) 2 Hold rating(s) 1 Buy rating(s) 0 Strong Buy rating(s) 2.33 Essential Utilities 1 Sell rating(s) 4 Hold rating(s) 2 Buy rating(s) 2 Strong Buy rating(s) 2.56

Question 23

Is AWR or WTRG a better dividend stock?

Accepted Answer

American States Water pays an annual dividend of $2.18 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.5%. Essential Utilities pays an annual dividend of $1.44 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. American States Water pays out 59.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Essential Utilities pays out 73.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. American States Water has increased its dividend for 71 consecutive years and Essential Utilities has increased its dividend for 32 consecutive years.

Question 24

Which has stronger valuation & earnings, AWR or WTRG?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities has higher revenue and earnings than American States Water. Essential Utilities is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than American States Water, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio American States Water $658.07M 5.36 $130.44M $3.65 24.36 Essential Utilities $2.47B 4.61 $616.37M $1.96 20.50

Question 25

Do institutionals and insiders believe in AWR or WTRG?

Accepted Answer

75.2% of American States Water shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 74.8% of Essential Utilities shares are held by institutional investors. 0.9% of American States Water shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.4% of Essential Utilities shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Question 26

Is AWR or WTRG more profitable?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities has a net margin of 21.60% compared to American States Water's net margin of 20.52%. American States Water's return on equity of 13.50% beat Essential Utilities' return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets American States Water 20.52% 13.50% 5.26% Essential Utilities 21.60% 8.23% 2.91%

Question 27

Which has more risk & volatility, AWR or WTRG?

Accepted Answer

American States Water has a beta of 0.57, suggesting that its stock price is 43% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Essential Utilities has a beta of 0.64, suggesting that its stock price is 36% less volatile than the broader market.

Question 28

Does the media favor AWR or WTRG?

Accepted Answer

In the previous week, Essential Utilities had 6 more articles in the media than American States Water. MarketBeat recorded 15 mentions for Essential Utilities and 9 mentions for American States Water. Essential Utilities' average media sentiment score of 1.36 beat American States Water's score of 0.64 indicating that Essential Utilities is being referred to more favorably in the news media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment American States Water 5 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Essential Utilities 13 Very Positive mention(s) 0 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Question 29

Do analysts recommend WTRG or CMS?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities currently has a consensus price target of $43.00, indicating a potential upside of 7.02%. CMS Energy has a consensus price target of $81.83, indicating a potential upside of 19.62%. Given CMS Energy's higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe CMS Energy is more favorable than Essential Utilities. Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Essential Utilities 1 Sell rating(s) 4 Hold rating(s) 2 Buy rating(s) 2 Strong Buy rating(s) 2.56 CMS Energy 0 Sell rating(s) 6 Hold rating(s) 6 Buy rating(s) 0 Strong Buy rating(s) 2.50

Question 30

Is WTRG or CMS a better dividend stock?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities pays an annual dividend of $1.44 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. CMS Energy pays an annual dividend of $2.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.3%. Essential Utilities pays out 73.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. CMS Energy pays out 68.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Essential Utilities has raised its dividend for 32 consecutive years and CMS Energy has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years. Essential Utilities is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Question 31

Which has better valuation & earnings, WTRG or CMS?

Accepted Answer

CMS Energy has higher revenue and earnings than Essential Utilities. Essential Utilities is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than CMS Energy, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Essential Utilities $2.47B 4.61 $616.37M $1.96 20.50 CMS Energy $8.54B 2.51 $1.07B $3.33 20.54

Question 32

Do institutionals and insiders believe in WTRG or CMS?

Accepted Answer

74.8% of Essential Utilities shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 93.6% of CMS Energy shares are held by institutional investors. 0.4% of Essential Utilities shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.5% of CMS Energy shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Question 33

Is WTRG or CMS more profitable?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities has a net margin of 21.60% compared to CMS Energy's net margin of 11.64%. CMS Energy's return on equity of 10.76% beat Essential Utilities' return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Essential Utilities 21.60% 8.23% 2.91% CMS Energy 11.64% 10.76% 2.62%

Question 34

Which has more volatility & risk, WTRG or CMS?

Accepted Answer

Essential Utilities has a beta of 0.64, meaning that its stock price is 36% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, CMS Energy has a beta of 0.35, meaning that its stock price is 65% less volatile than the broader market.

Question 35

Does the media prefer WTRG or CMS?

Accepted Answer

In the previous week, CMS Energy had 4 more articles in the media than Essential Utilities. MarketBeat recorded 19 mentions for CMS Energy and 15 mentions for Essential Utilities. CMS Energy's average media sentiment score of 1.39 beat Essential Utilities' score of 1.36 indicating that CMS Energy is being referred to more favorably in the news media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Essential Utilities 13 Very Positive mention(s) 0 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive CMS Energy 14 Very Positive mention(s) 2 Positive mention(s) 1 Neutral mention(s) 1 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Metric	Essential Utilities	Water Utilities Industry	Utilities Sector	NYSE Exchange
Market Cap	$11.40B	$6.17B	$15.92B	$24.30B
Dividend Yield	3.59%	3.94%	4.04%	3.70%
P/E Ratio	20.50	22.80	24.84	30.31
Price / Sales	4.61	54.01	373.02	19.95
Price / Cash	11.00	14.64	18.69	32.49
Price / Book	1.62	5.21	2.23	6.77
Net Income	$616.37M	$302.59M	$701.43M	$1.07B
7 Day Performance	-0.50%	0.11%	-1.25%	-0.65%
1 Month Performance	1.42%	2.12%	-2.75%	3.38%
1 Year Performance	1.48%	2.51%	8.24%	14.90%

Company	MarketRank	Share Price	Analysts' Price Target	1Y Price Performance	Market Cap	Revenue	P/E Ratio	Employee Count	Indicator(s)
WTRG Essential Utilities	4.4715 of 5 stars	$40.18 -0.6%	$43.00 +7.0%	+1.5%	$11.40B	$2.47B	20.50	3,303	News Coverage Positive News Analyst Forecast
LNT Alliant Energy	4.1946 of 5 stars	$70.60 +0.6%	$76.82 +8.8%	+1.3%	$18.31B	$4.43B	22.34	2,948	Trending News Analyst Revision
MSEX Middlesex Water	3.3681 of 5 stars	$58.73 -0.2%	$61.67 +5.0%	+6.8%	$1.11B	$194.69M	22.68	350	Positive News
AWK American Water Works	3.5176 of 5 stars	$136.25 -0.2%	$138.78 +1.9%	-7.1%	$27.07B	$5.28B	23.61	7,000	News Coverage
AWR American States Water	3.8889 of 5 stars	$89.04 +0.4%	N/A	+17.5%	$3.52B	$658.07M	24.40	810

Essential Utilities (WTRG) Competitors

WTRG vs. LNT, MSEX, AWK, AWR, and CMS

How does Essential Utilities compare to Alliant Energy?

Summary

How does Essential Utilities compare to Middlesex Water?

Summary

How does Essential Utilities compare to American Water Works?

Summary

How does Essential Utilities compare to American States Water?

Summary

How does Essential Utilities compare to CMS Energy?

Summary

New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

Media Sentiment Over Time

WTRG vs. The Competition

Essential Utilities Competitors List

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Essential Utilities (WTRG) Competitors

WTRG vs. LNT, MSEX, AWK, AWR, and CMS

How does Essential Utilities compare to Alliant Energy?

Which has stronger valuation and earnings, WTRG or LNT?

Is WTRG or LNT a better dividend stock?

Does the media favor WTRG or LNT?

Do institutionals and insiders hold more shares of WTRG or LNT?

Do analysts recommend WTRG or LNT?

Which has more volatility & risk, WTRG or LNT?

Is WTRG or LNT more profitable?

Summary

How does Essential Utilities compare to Middlesex Water?

Do analysts prefer WTRG or MSEX?

Does the media prefer WTRG or MSEX?

Do institutionals & insiders hold more shares of WTRG or MSEX?

Which has more risk & volatility, WTRG or MSEX?

Which has higher earnings and valuation, WTRG or MSEX?

Is WTRG or MSEX more profitable?

Is WTRG or MSEX a better dividend stock?

Summary

How does Essential Utilities compare to American Water Works?

Does the media refer more to WTRG or AWK?

Is WTRG or AWK a better dividend stock?

Which has stronger valuation & earnings, WTRG or AWK?

Do institutionals and insiders hold more shares of WTRG or AWK?

Is WTRG or AWK more profitable?

Which has more volatility & risk, WTRG or AWK?

Do analysts rate WTRG or AWK?

Summary

How does Essential Utilities compare to American States Water?

Which has more risk & volatility, AWR or WTRG?

Is AWR or WTRG a better dividend stock?

Do analysts prefer AWR or WTRG?

Which has stronger valuation & earnings, AWR or WTRG?

Is AWR or WTRG more profitable?

Do institutionals and insiders believe in AWR or WTRG?

Does the media favor AWR or WTRG?

Summary

How does Essential Utilities compare to CMS Energy?

Is WTRG or CMS a better dividend stock?

Do institutionals and insiders believe in WTRG or CMS?

Which has better valuation & earnings, WTRG or CMS?

Which has more volatility & risk, WTRG or CMS?

Is WTRG or CMS more profitable?

Do analysts recommend WTRG or CMS?

Does the media prefer WTRG or CMS?

Summary

New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

Media Sentiment Over Time

WTRG vs. The Competition

Essential Utilities Competitors List

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Best-in-Class Portfolio Monitoring

Stock Ideas and Recommendations

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