Zacks Research Has Pessimistic Outlook of WTRG Q1 Earnings

Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) – Zacks Research decreased their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Essential Utilities in a report released on Monday, March 17th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now forecasts 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 posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.01. Essential Utilities had a return on equity of 7.89% and a net margin of 27.84%. The firm had revenue of $604.38 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $698.77 million.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on 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 raised Essential Utilities from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $41.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $43.50.

Essential Utilities Price Performance

Shares of Essential Utilities stock opened at $38.39 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $37.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.20, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.79. Essential Utilities has a 1-year low of $33.18 and a 1-year high of $41.78.

Institutional Trading of Essential Utilities

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Essential Utilities by 1.8% in the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 14,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $549,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL raised its stake in shares of Essential Utilities by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 24,652 shares of the company’s stock valued at $895,000 after buying an additional 285 shares in the last quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV raised its stake in shares of Essential Utilities by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 6,342 shares of the company’s stock valued at $230,000 after buying an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities by 61.4% during the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 773 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares during the period. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Essential Utilities by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 70,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,546,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.78% of the company’s stock.

Essential Utilities Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 13th will be given a dividend of $0.3255 per share. This represents a $1.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.39%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 13th. Essential Utilities’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 59.91%.

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.