Zacks Research Issues Negative Outlook for WTRG Earnings

Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research decreased their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for Essential Utilities in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, March 17th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now expects that the company will earn $0.75 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.83. The consensus estimate for Essential Utilities’ current full-year earnings is $1.99 per share.

Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.01. Essential Utilities had a net margin of 27.84% and a return on equity of 7.89%. The business had revenue of $604.38 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $698.77 million.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on WTRG. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Essential Utilities from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Essential Utilities from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $41.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $43.50.

Essential Utilities Stock Performance

Shares of WTRG opened at $39.14 on Thursday. Essential Utilities has a 12 month low of $33.18 and a 12 month high of $41.78. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.44 and a 200 day simple moving average of $37.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.57, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17.

Essential Utilities Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 13th will be given a $0.3255 dividend. This represents a $1.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.33%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 13th. Essential Utilities’s payout ratio is presently 59.91%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Essential Utilities

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in shares of Essential Utilities in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Essential Utilities in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Essential Utilities in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Essential Utilities by 61.4% in the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 773 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 294 shares during the period. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new position in Essential Utilities during the third quarter worth about $42,000. 74.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Essential Utilities

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.