Essential Utilities/$WTRG
1D1W1MYTD1Y5YMAX
Capital at risk
About Essential Utilities
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. Essential shareholders would own a 31% stake in American Water Works if the proposed all-stock merger closes in 2027.
- Ticker
- $WTRG
- Sector
- Utilities
- Primary listing
- NYSE
- Employees
- 3,303
- Headquarters
- Bryn Mawr, United States
- Website
- www.essential.co
WTRG Metrics
BasicAdvanced
$12B
21.00
$1.96
0.63
$1.39
3.51%
Price and volume
Market cap
$12B
Beta
0.63
52-week high
$42.51
52-week low
$36.11
Average daily volume
2.1M
Dividend rate
$1.39
Financial strength
Current ratio
0.777
Quick ratio
0.525
Long term debt to equity
119.99
Total debt to equity
121.177
Dividend payout ratio (TTM)
69.80%
Interest coverage (TTM)
2.65%
Profitability
EBITDA (TTM)
1,349.981
Gross margin (TTM)
56.43%
Net profit margin (TTM)
21.60%
Operating margin (TTM)
35.48%
Effective tax rate (TTM)
5.01%
Revenue per employee (TTM)
$780,000
Management effectiveness
Return on assets (TTM)
2.96%
Return on equity (TTM)
8.08%
Valuation
Price to earnings (TTM)
21
Price to revenue (TTM)
4.523
Price to book
1.66
Price to tangible book (TTM)
2.5
Price to free cash flow (TTM)
-25.709
Free cash flow yield (TTM)
-3.89%
Free cash flow per share (TTM)
-1.597
Dividend yield (TTM)
3.38%
Forward dividend yield
3.51%
Growth
Revenue change (TTM)
9.86%
Earnings per share change (TTM)
-16.19%
3-year revenue growth (CAGR)
3.70%
10-year revenue growth (CAGR)
12.17%
3-year earnings per share growth (CAGR)
3.38%
10-year earnings per share growth (CAGR)
5.27%
3-year dividend per share growth (CAGR)
6.08%
10-year dividend per share growth (CAGR)
6.77%
What the Analysts think about WTRG
Analyst ratings (Buy, Hold, Sell) for Essential Utilities stock.
Analyst projections of the future price of Essential Utilities stock.
Bulls say / Bears say
Essential Utilities increased its quarterly dividend 5.25% to $0.3606 per share, payable September 1, 2026, marking the 36th raise in 35 years and extending an 80-year consecutive payment streak, underpinned by robust free cash flow. (Business Wire)
Essential Utilities has finalized rate cases and infrastructure surcharges totaling $56.6 million in annualized revenue YTD 2026, with a pending $163.2 million Pennsylvania natural gas case to fund its Long-Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan and emissions reduction efforts. (Yahoo Finance)
Essential Utilities received orders from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on May 14, 2026 and the Virginia State Corporation Commission on June 22, 2026 approving its merger with American Water Works, advancing the all-stock transaction that will grant shareholders a 31% stake in the combined company. (Business Wire)
As of May 2026, Essential Utilities’ net debt / EBITDA ratio stood at approximately 6.7x, above the utility sector average, which could limit its financial flexibility amid elevated capital spending and merger‐related costs. (S&P Global Market Intelligence)
Essential’s merger agreement uses a fixed exchange ratio that won’t adjust for stock price fluctuations and depends on regulatory approvals that may impose burdensome conditions or delays, posing a risk of termination or adverse integration outcomes. (SEC Form 14A)
Escalated regulatory scrutiny in Pennsylvania—underscored by Governor Shapiro’s April 29 letter and the Special Counsel’s involvement in the pending Peoples gas rate case—may constrain return on equity and delay rate approvals, pressuring earnings. (Yahoo Finance)
Data summarised monthly by Lightyear AI. Last updated on 22 Aug 2026.
WTRG Financial Performance
Revenues and expenses
WTRG Earnings Performance
Company profitability
Upcoming events
No upcoming events
WTRG News
AllArticlesVideos
Funds containing WTRG
AllEURGBPUSD
Fund name | Fund size | $WTRG weighting |
|---|---|---|
iShares Global Water€IQQQ | €1.8B | 5.74% |
iShares Global Water£IH2O | £1.6B | 5.74% |
SPDR S&P US Dividend Aristocrats€SPYD | €3.3B | 0.50% |
SPDR S&P US Dividend Aristocrats£USDV | £2.8B | 0.50% |
iShares Global Infrastructure€INFR | €2.1B | 0.35% |
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