Q4 EPS Forecast for Essential Utilities Boosted by Analyst

Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) – Research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q4 2024 earnings per share estimates for Essential Utilities in a report issued on Thursday, December 19th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $0.51 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.50. The consensus estimate for Essential Utilities’ current full-year earnings is $2.01 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Essential Utilities’ Q4 2025 earnings at $0.64 EPS.

Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.01. Essential Utilities had a net margin of 27.84% and a return on equity of 7.89%. The company had revenue of $435.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $416.95 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.30 EPS. Essential Utilities’s revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Essential Utilities from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $44.00 to $41.00 in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 target price on shares of Essential Utilities in a research report on Friday, September 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $43.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.00.

Essential Utilities Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of Essential Utilities stock opened at $36.40 on Monday. Essential Utilities has a 12-month low of $33.57 and a 12-month high of $41.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.00 billion, a PE ratio of 18.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $39.12 and its 200-day moving average is $38.93.

Essential Utilities Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be issued a $0.3255 dividend. This represents a $1.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.58%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. Essential Utilities’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 65.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Essential Utilities

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James & Associates raised its position in Essential Utilities by 13.0% in the second quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 140,789 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,256,000 after purchasing an additional 16,231 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Essential Utilities by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,754,099 shares of the company’s stock worth $102,811,000 after buying an additional 9,822 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its stake in Essential Utilities by 8.7% in the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 4,416 shares of the company’s stock valued at $165,000 after buying an additional 352 shares in the last quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC grew its position in Essential Utilities by 80.2% in the second quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC now owns 11,846 shares of the company’s stock valued at $442,000 after acquiring an additional 5,273 shares during the period. Finally, First Personal Financial Services raised its stake in Essential Utilities by 3.0% during the second quarter. First Personal Financial Services now owns 44,979 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,679,000 after acquiring an additional 1,305 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.78% of the company’s stock.

Essential Utilities Company Profile

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.