(WTRG) Essential Utilities - Ratings and Ratios

Exchange: NYSE • Country: United States • Currency: USD • Type: Common Stock • ISIN: US29670G1022

Water, Wastewater, Gas, Protection

Stock: Water Utilities
Age 38.1y

MCap 11,272m
Avg Vol 1.51M (59.3M USD)

Beta -0.114
Volatility 21.50%

EPS (Earnings per Share)

EPS CAGR: -56.20%
EPS Trend: -18.4%

Last SUE: -3.08
Qual. Beats: 0

Revenue

Rev. CAGR: -3.05%
Rev. Trend: -4.4%

Last SUE: 0.04
Qual. Beats: 0

Dividends

Dividend Yield	3.56%
Yield on Cost 5y	3.40%
Yield CAGR 5y	6.55%
Payout Consistency	99.6%
Payout Ratio	60.5%

Risk via 5d forecast
Volatility	21.5%
Value at Risk 5%th	34.9%
Relative Tail Risk	-1.43%

Reward TTM
Sharpe Ratio	0.61
Alpha	13.34
CAGR/Max DD	-0.09

Character TTM
Hurst Exponent	0.389
Beta	-0.114
Beta Downside	-0.248

Drawdowns 3y
Max DD	30.83%
Mean DD	15.69%
Median DD	14.54%

Description: WTRG Essential Utilities January 02, 2026

Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE: WTRG) is a regulated utility holding company that delivers water, wastewater, and natural-gas services across nine U.S. states. The firm operates through two primary segments-Regulated Water and Regulated Natural Gas-and generates the bulk of its revenue from long-term contracts with municipal authorities under the Aqua and Peoples brands.

With an estimated 5.5 million customers spanning residential, commercial, industrial, and fire-protection segments, the company’s service footprint includes Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky. Its business model emphasizes stable, inflation-linked rate structures that are approved by state utility commissions.

Key performance indicators (as of FY 2023) show total revenue of roughly $2.2 billion, a regulated rate base of about $30 billion, and a dividend yield near 2.8 %. Earnings per share have grown at a compounded annual rate of ~4 % over the past three years, driven by modest demand growth (≈1.5 %-2 % YoY) and the ability to pass through inflationary cost pressures. Sector-wide drivers include aging water infrastructure, heightened regulatory focus on water scarcity, and the ongoing need for capital-intensive pipe replacement-factors that generally support steady cash-flow generation for regulated utilities.

For a deeper, data-driven view of Essential Utilities’ valuation dynamics, you might find ValueRay’s analytical platform worth a quick look.

Piotroski VR‑10 (Strict, 0-10) 3.0

Net Income: 668.4m TTM > 0 and > 6% of Revenue
FCF/TA: -0.02 > 0.02 and ΔFCF/TA 0.42 > 1.0
NWC/Revenue: -12.38% < 20% (prev -15.77%; Δ 3.39% < -1%)
CFO/TA 0.05 > 3% & CFO 952.2m > Net Income 668.4m
Net Debt (7.94b) to EBITDA (1.36b): 5.85 < 3
Current Ratio: 0.60 > 1.5 & < 3
Outstanding Shares: last quarter (282.3m) vs 12m ago 2.82% < -2%
Gross Margin: 59.59% > 18% (prev 0.59%; Δ 5900 % > 0.5%)
Asset Turnover: 13.06% > 50% (prev 11.17%; Δ 1.89% > 0%)
Interest Coverage Ratio: 2.94 > 6 (EBITDA TTM 1.36b / Interest Expense TTM 323.4m)

Altman Z'' (< 1.1 .. > 2.6) 0.84

A: -0.02 (Total Current Assets 433.6m - Total Current Liabilities 728.1m) / Total Assets 18.89b
B: 0.12 (Retained Earnings 2.24b / Total Assets 18.89b)
C: 0.05 (EBIT TTM 951.3m / Avg Total Assets 18.23b)
D: 0.20 (Book Value of Equity 2.39b / Total Liabilities 12.08b)
Altman-Z'' Score: 0.84 = B

ValueRay F-Score (Strict, 0-100) 41.81

1. Piotroski: 3.0pt
2. FCF Yield: -2.42%
3. FCF Margin: -19.52%
4. Debt/Equity: 1.17
5. Debt/Ebitda: 5.85
6. ROIC - WACC: 2.71%
7. RoE: 10.21%
8. Revenue Trend: -4.44%
9. EPS Trend: -18.44%

What is the price of WTRG shares?

As of January 22, 2026, the stock is trading at USD 39.23 with a total of 1,578,571 shares traded.
Over the past week, the price has changed by -1.23%, over one month by +1.71%, over three months by -5.07% and over the past year by +16.34%.

Is WTRG a buy, sell or hold?

Essential Utilities has received a consensus analysts rating of 4.55. Therefore, it is recommended to buy WTRG.

Strong Buy: 8
Buy: 1
Hold: 2
Sell: 0
Strong Sell: 0

What are the forecasts/targets for the WTRG price?

Issuer	Target	Up/Down from current
Wallstreet Target Price	43	9.6%
Analysts Target Price	43	9.6%
ValueRay Target Price	40.8	4%

WTRG Fundamental Data Overview January 18, 2026

P/E Trailing = 16.5917
P/E Forward = 17.8891
P/S = 4.7365
P/B = 1.6537
P/EG = 3.6155
Revenue TTM = 2.38b USD
EBIT TTM = 951.3m USD
EBITDA TTM = 1.36b USD
Long Term Debt = 7.69b USD (from longTermDebt, last quarter)
Short Term Debt = 232.1m USD (from shortTermDebt, last quarter)
Debt = 7.95b USD (from shortLongTermDebtTotal, last quarter)
Net Debt = 7.94b USD (from netDebt column, last quarter)
Enterprise Value = 19.21b USD (11.27b + Debt 7.95b - CCE 6.40m)
Interest Coverage Ratio = 2.94 (Ebit TTM 951.3m / Interest Expense TTM 323.4m)
EV/FCF = -41.35x (Enterprise Value 19.21b / FCF TTM -464.6m)
FCF Yield = -2.42% (FCF TTM -464.6m / Enterprise Value 19.21b)
FCF Margin = -19.52% (FCF TTM -464.6m / Revenue TTM 2.38b)
Net Margin = 28.09% (Net Income TTM 668.4m / Revenue TTM 2.38b)
Gross Margin = 59.59% ((Revenue TTM 2.38b - Cost of Revenue TTM 961.6m) / Revenue TTM)
Gross Margin QoQ = 63.11% (prev 60.14%)
Tobins Q-Ratio = 1.02 (Enterprise Value 19.21b / Total Assets 18.89b)
Interest Expense / Debt = 1.04% (Interest Expense 82.3m / Debt 7.95b)
Taxrate = 4.46% (4.30m / 96.4m)
NOPAT = 908.8m (EBIT 951.3m * (1 - 4.46%))
Current Ratio = 0.60 (Total Current Assets 433.6m / Total Current Liabilities 728.1m)
Debt / Equity = 1.17 (Debt 7.95b / totalStockholderEquity, last quarter 6.82b)
Debt / EBITDA = 5.85 (Net Debt 7.94b / EBITDA 1.36b)
Debt / FCF = -17.09 (negative FCF - burning cash) (Net Debt 7.94b / FCF TTM -464.6m)
Total Stockholder Equity = 6.55b (last 4 quarters mean from totalStockholderEquity)
RoA = 3.67% (Net Income 668.4m / Total Assets 18.89b)
RoE = 10.21% (Net Income TTM 668.4m / Total Stockholder Equity 6.55b)
RoCE = 6.68% (EBIT 951.3m / Capital Employed (Equity 6.55b + L.T.Debt 7.69b))
RoIC = 6.34% (NOPAT 908.8m / Invested Capital 14.34b)
WACC = 3.63% (E(11.27b)/V(19.22b) * Re(5.49%) + D(7.95b)/V(19.22b) * Rd(1.04%) * (1-Tc(0.04)))
Discount Rate = 5.49% (= CAPM, Blume Beta Adj.) -> floored to rf + 0.7*ERP = 7.95%
Shares Correlation 3-Years: 100.0 | Cagr: 2.07%
Fair Price DCF = unknown (Cash Flow -464.6m)
EPS Correlation: -18.44 | EPS CAGR: -56.20% | SUE: -3.08 | # QB: 0
Revenue Correlation: -4.44 | Revenue CAGR: -3.05% | SUE: 0.04 | # QB: 0
EPS next Quarter (2026-03-31): EPS=1.00 | Chg30d=-0.000 | Revisions Net=-1 | Analysts=3
EPS next Year (2026-12-31): EPS=2.23 | Chg30d=-0.001 | Revisions Net=-1 | Growth EPS=+5.2% | Growth Revenue=+3.0%

Additional Sources for WTRG Stock

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