Zacks Research Has Negative Forecast for WTRG Q2 Earnings

Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q2 2025 EPS estimates for Essential Utilities in a note issued to investors on Monday, March 17th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now forecasts that the company will earn $0.32 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.34. The consensus estimate for Essential Utilities’ current full-year earnings is $1.99 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Essential Utilities’ Q4 2025 earnings at $0.66 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $2.10 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.39 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.70 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $2.39 EPS.

Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) last posted its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $604.38 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $698.77 million. Essential Utilities had a return on equity of 7.89% and a net margin of 27.84%.

WTRG has been the topic of several other reports. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Essential Utilities from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $41.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Essential Utilities from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.50.

Essential Utilities Trading Down 0.4 %

NYSE WTRG opened at $39.70 on Wednesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $36.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $37.83. 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 stock has a market cap of $10.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.85, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.79. Essential Utilities has a 12 month low of $33.18 and a 12 month high of $41.78.

Essential Utilities Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.3255 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 13th. This represents a $1.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.28%. Essential Utilities’s dividend payout ratio is presently 59.91%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Essential Utilities

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Glenmede Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in Essential Utilities by 1.6% in the third quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 51,881 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,001,000 after acquiring an additional 803 shares during the period. Synergy Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Essential Utilities by 92.8% in the 4th quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC now owns 148,009 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,529,000 after purchasing an additional 71,222 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities by 16.7% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 6,811,851 shares of the company’s stock worth $247,134,000 after buying an additional 972,803 shares during the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new stake in Essential Utilities during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $638,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Essential Utilities by 8.7% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,871,932 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,200,000 after buying an additional 149,162 shares during the last quarter. 74.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.