Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) Stock Rated Hold in New Coverage at Zacks Research

Zacks Research began coverage on shares of Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) in a report released on Wednesday morning,Zacks reports. The firm issued a hold rating on the utilities provider’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on MSEX. Weiss Ratings upgraded Middlesex Water from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Freedom Broker upped their target price on Middlesex Water from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 2nd. Huntington initiated coverage on Middlesex Water in a report on Sunday, November 1st. They set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock. New Street Research set a $64.00 price target on Middlesex Water in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $66.00 price objective on shares of Middlesex Water in a research report on Friday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Middlesex Water currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $60.75.

Middlesex Water Stock Performance

Shares of MSEX stock traded up $0.37 on Wednesday, hitting $59.87. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 144,357 shares, compared to its average volume of 139,592. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.51. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $55.54 and its 200-day moving average is $54.32. Middlesex Water has a fifty-two week low of $48.19 and a fifty-two week high of $60.72. The company has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a PE ratio of 21.61 and a beta of 0.71.

Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The utilities provider reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.82 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $60.21 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $59.90 million. Middlesex Water had a net margin of 24.50% and a return on equity of 10.08%. Equities research analysts expect that Middlesex Water will post 2.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Middlesex Water Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a $0.38 dividend. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This is a positive change from Middlesex Water’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.36. Middlesex Water’s dividend payout ratio is 51.99%.

Institutional Trading of Middlesex Water

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MSEX. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. acquired a new stake in Middlesex Water in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in Middlesex Water by 68.6% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Middlesex Water in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new position in shares of Middlesex Water in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Jacobi Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Middlesex Water in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 79.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Middlesex Water News

Here are the key news stories impacting Middlesex Water this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Huntington reiterated a “Strong-Buy” view and forecast earnings per share of $2.82 in 2026, $2.80 in 2027 and $2.92 in 2028. The 2028 estimate suggests a return to earnings growth, though the forecasts are not a sharp near-term upgrade. Middlesex Water analyst estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research began coverage with a “Hold” rating, indicating a wait-and-see stance rather than a clear catalyst for buying or selling. Zacks Research ratings
• Negative Sentiment: A valuation-focused article argues MSEX could be about 45% above fair value despite earnings and dividend increases, raising the risk that its recent strength has left limited upside. This may temper the impact of positive earnings expectations. Middlesex Water valuation article

Middlesex Water Company Profile

Middlesex Water Company (NASDAQ:MSEX) is a regulated water and wastewater utility that owns and operates systems serving residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers. Its services include the production, treatment, distribution and sale of potable water, as well as wastewater collection and treatment.

Founded in 1897, the company primarily serves communities in New Jersey and Delaware through its regulated utility operations. Its New Jersey service area includes portions of Middlesex, Union, Somerset and Mercer counties, while its Delaware operations serve customers through the Tidewater Utilities subsidiary.

Middlesex Water also provides contract operations, maintenance and related services for municipal and other public water and wastewater systems.