Essential UtilitiesWTRG
WTRG
About: Essential Utilities is a Pennsylvania-based holding company for US water, wastewater, and natural gas distribution utilities. The company's water business serves 3 million people in eight states. Its largest service territory is in Pennsylvania, primarily suburban Philadelphia. Its Peoples subsidiary serves more than 740,000 gas distribution customers in Pennsylvania and Kentucky. It completed the sale of its West Virginia gas utility and the bulk of its nonregulated assets in 2024.
Employees: 3,291
0
Funds holding %
of 7,419 funds
0
Analysts bullish %
of 3 analysts
Fund manager confidence
Based on 2024 Q4 regulatory disclosures by fund managers ($100M+ AUM)
11% more first-time investments, than exits
New positions opened: 72 | Existing positions closed: 65
3.08% more ownership
Funds ownership: 75.94% [Q3] → 79.02% (+3.08%) [Q4]
1% less funds holding
Funds holding: 619 [Q3] → 613 (-6) [Q4]
1% less capital invested
Capital invested by funds: $7.96B [Q3] → $7.88B (-$80.1M) [Q4]
28% less repeat investments, than reductions
Existing positions increased: 179 | Existing positions reduced: 250
47% less call options, than puts
Call options by funds: $1.49M | Put options by funds: $2.8M
Research analyst outlook
3 Wall Street Analysts provided 1 year price targets over the past 3 months
Low target
$41
0%
upside
Avg. target
$43
4%
upside
High target
$46
12%
upside
3 analyst ratings
2 positive
67%
1 neutral
33%
0 negative
0%
Evercore ISI Group Durgesh Chopra 59% 1-year accuracy 13 / 22 met price target | 12%upside $46 | Outperform Maintained | 5 Mar 2025 |
Wells Fargo Jonathan Reeder 73% 1-year accuracy 11 / 15 met price target | 0%downside $41 | Equal-Weight Maintained | 27 Feb 2025 |
Jefferies Julien Dumoulin-Smith 55% 1-year accuracy 93 / 170 met price target | 0%downside $41 | Buy Upgraded | 28 Jan 2025 |
Financial journalist opinion
Based on 8 articles about WTRG published over the past 30 days
Neutral
Business Wire
1 week ago
Essential Utilities to Report Earnings for Q1 2025
BRYN MAWR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE: WTRG) expects to report earnings for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, prior to market opening on May 12, 2025. The company's conference call with financial analysts will take place on May 12, 2025, at 11 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The call and presentation will be webcast live so interested parties may listen over the internet by logging on to Essential.co and following the link for Investors. Chris Franklin, Chief Executive Off.
Neutral
Business Wire
1 week ago
Essential Utilities Strengthens America's Infrastructure Through $1B+ Capital Improvement Program
BRYN MAWR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) releases its 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, highlighting the urgent need for sustained nationwide investment, Essential Utilities (NYSE: WTRG) reinforces its commitment to addressing infrastructure challenges. Through its billion-dollar capital improvement program, Essential is modernizing water and natural gas infrastructure across its nine-state footprint, ensuring safer, more resilient communit.
Positive
Seeking Alpha
2 weeks ago
My Top 10 High-Yield Dividend Stocks For April 2025
Q1 2025 ended negatively for SPY and VYM, but my watchlist outperformed, limiting losses to 1.38% and achieving a YTD gain of 1.89%. Since inception, my watchlist has a CAGR of 15.83%, outperforming SPY and VYM, and providing higher yields. The April 2025 watchlist includes 10 stocks with an average forward dividend yield of 3.48% and an expected return of 15.43%.
Neutral
Business Wire
3 weeks ago
Essential Utilities Reminds Customers and Contractors to Practice Safe Digging by Calling 811
BRYN MAWR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In honor of National Safe Digging Month, Essential Utilities and its water and natural gas segments, Aqua and Peoples Natural Gas, remind homeowners, businesses and contractors to contact 811 before beginning any digging project, large or small. Contacting 811 is required by law for all excavation projects, including major construction work and smaller home improvement projects like planting trees and shrubs, installing mailboxes, or setting up basketball hoops.
Positive
Seeking Alpha
3 weeks ago
Artesian Resources Vs. Essential Utilities: Why I Swapped
Artesian Resources currently offers a conservative balance sheet, attractive valuation, and tangible growth opportunities, making it a compelling Buy at ~$31. Essential Utilities has shown stronger historical growth, but now carries higher leverage and valuation multiples, limiting its near-term upside. This one's a Hold at ~$38. Artesian's lower debt profile should provide greater financial flexibility going forward, while WTRG's broader footprint and capital commitments pose higher risks.
Positive
Zacks Investment Research
3 weeks ago
Essential Utilities (WTRG) Up 2.9% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?
Essential Utilities (WTRG) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock?
Neutral
Business Wire
4 weeks ago
Essential Utilities Marks Five Years of Strength, Innovation and Growth
BRYN MAWR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This month Essential Utilities (NYSE: WTRG) commemorates its fifth anniversary as a unified company, reinforcing its position as one of the nation's largest regulated utilities. Since the integration of Aqua and Peoples in 2020, Essential has demonstrated the power of bringing together operational expertise, financial strength, and regulatory credibility to enhance infrastructure, improve environmental sustainability, and provide long-term value to customers and.
Neutral
Seeking Alpha
1 month ago
Essential Utilities' Secret Growth Engine: PFAS Rules Fuel Expansion
Essential Utilities stock is rated a "Buy" due to its strategic acquisitions of smaller utilities struggling with new PFAS regulations. Management's focus on PFAS mitigation and a $7.8 billion capital investment plan position WTRG for long-term growth and regulatory compliance. Despite missing EPS estimates, WTRG's strong financials and successful rate settlements in Pennsylvania support its 5-7% annual EPS growth target.
Positive
Seeking Alpha
1 month ago
My Top 10 High-Yield Dividend Stocks For March 2025
SPY stumbles in February, erasing some of its year-to-date gains. VYM is running strong and extends its lead over SPY in 2025. The top 10 stocks on the watchlist for March 2025 offer a 3.56% dividend yield, nearly triple that of the S&P 500. My top 10 list of high dividend yield stocks has generated an annualized rate of return of 16.53% since its inception in November 2020.
Neutral
Business Wire
1 month ago
Essential Utilities Announces Ed Vallejo as New Investor Relations Director
BRYN MAWR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE: WTRG) announced today the appointment of Ed Vallejo as the company's new investor relations director. “We are excited to welcome Ed to the Essential team,” said Essential Chairman and CEO Christopher Franklin. “With a wealth of experience in investor relations, including more than 20 years in the water and wastewater industry, Ed will be an invaluable asset to Essential as we tell our story of growth and operational excellence to.
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