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
20.98
$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
2.2M
Dividend rate
$1.39
Financial strength
Current ratio
0.777
Quick ratio
0.525
Long term debt to equity
1.2
Total debt to equity
1.217
Dividend payout ratio (TTM)
69.80%
Interest coverage (TTM)
2.65%
Profitability
EBITDA (TTM)
1,347.437
Gross margin (TTM)
56.47%
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)
20.985
Price to revenue (TTM)
4.52
Price to book
1.66
Price to tangible book (TTM)
2.5
Price to free cash flow (TTM)
-25.69
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
Management reaffirmed its target of 5% to 7% long-term annual earnings-per-share growth through 2027. Recent water and gas rate awards are expected to add $43.9 million and $12.7 million respectively to annual revenue, supporting the regulated growth plan. (Essential Utilities, Essential Utilities)
The American Water merger has cleared federal antitrust review and received approvals in Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia, with closing targeted for the first quarter of 2027. If completed, the combination should give Essential shareholders exposure to a larger, more diversified regulated utility platform. (American Water Works, Essential Utilities)
Essential raised its quarterly dividend by 5.25% and is targeting a 60% to 65% payout ratio while adding customers through signed municipal water and wastewater acquisitions. That offers income investors a growing dividend alongside expansion that does not rely solely on household demand. (Essential Utilities, The Motley Fool)
Second-quarter GAAP earnings per share fell to $0.37 from $0.38 a year earlier, while higher operating costs, depreciation and interest offset revenue growth. This raises the risk that cost inflation will run ahead of regulatory recovery. (Essential Utilities, The Motley Fool)
Essential plans about $1.7 billion of infrastructure investment in 2026 and says it will issue debt and equity as needed to fund investment and acquisitions. That creates exposure to borrowing costs and potential shareholder dilution, especially if cash generation remains weak. (Essential Utilities, Essential Utilities)
The Pennsylvania merger settlement is non-unanimous and still requires review by administrative law judges and final approval by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. The proposed customer credits and other conditions could reduce the deal’s economic benefits, while a delay or rejection would remove the merger catalyst. (Essential Utilities, MLex)
Data summarised monthly by Lightyear AI. Last updated on 18 Sept 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 | 6.11% |
iShares Global Water£IH2O | £1.6B | 6.11% |
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 | 0.37% |
Data displayed above is indicative only and its accuracy or completeness is not guaranteed. Actual execution price may vary. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Your return may be affected by currency fluctuations and applicable fees and charges. Capital at risk.
Real-time US market data is sourced from the IEX order book provided by Polygon. After-hours US market data is 15 minutes delayed and may differ significantly from the actual tradable price at market open.