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Reasons to Add Essential Utilities Stock to Your Portfolio Right Now
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Key Takeaways
WTRG's earnings surprise averaged 17.5% over four quarters, with 2025 EPS estimates recently raised.
WTRG's ROE of 10.1% tops the sector average, while its debt-to-capital ratio is below peers.
Essential Utilities has raised dividends 35 times in 34 years and yields 3.5% annually.
Essential Utilities (WTRG - Free Report) is expected to continue benefiting from acquired assets, organic growth initiatives and capital expenditures. Given its growth opportunities, WTRG makes for a solid investment option in the utility sector.
Let’s focus on the factors that make this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company a strong investment pick at the moment.
WTRG’s Growth Projections & Surprise History
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings per share (EPS) has increased 0.5% in the past 30 days to $2.11.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 sales is pinned at $2.35 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of 12.7%.
Essential Utilities’ long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 5.18%. The company delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 17.5%.
Debt Position of WTRG
Currently, Essential Utilities’ total debt to capital is 53.63%, better than the sector’s average of 59.89%.
The time-to-interest earned ratio at the end of the second quarter of 2025 was 2.9. The ratio, being greater than one, reflects the company’s ability to meet future interest obligations without difficulties.
WTRG’s Return on Equity
ROE indicates how efficiently a company has been utilizing the funds to generate higher returns. Currently, Essential Utilities’ ROE is 10.1%, higher than the sector’s average of 9.78%. This indicates that the company has been utilizing the funds more constructively than its peers in the utility sector.
Dividend History of WTRG
Essential Utilities continues to increase the value of shareholders through annual increases in dividends. The company has been paying dividends for the past 80 years and has increased the dividend 35 times in the past 34 years. Currently, its quarterly dividend is 34.26 cents per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $1.37. Its current dividend yield is 3.5%, better than the Zacks S&P 500 composite's average of 1.16%.
WTRG’s Rising Customer Base
Essential Utilities is actively exploring opportunities to expand utility operations through the acquisition of municipal assets. Since 2015, Essential Utilities has expanded utility operations by completing many water and wastewater acquisitions, adding more than 135,000 customers. Essential Utilities’ pending four acquisitions, when completed, will add more than 200,000 customers to its existing base. This is expected to create more demand and contribute positively to its top line.
WTRG’s Share Price Performance
In the past month, the stock has returned 3.2% compared with the industry’s growth of 2.2%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CWCO’s 2025 EPS implies a decline of 6.3% from the bottom line recorded in 2024. It delivered an average earnings surprise of 40.1% in the last four quarters.
CWT’s long-term earnings growth rate is 8.78%. The company delivered an average earnings surprise of 51.6% for the past four quarters.
GWRS’ long-term earnings growth rate is 15%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS indicates a year-over-year decline of 15.4%.
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Reasons to Add Essential Utilities Stock to Your Portfolio Right Now
Key Takeaways
Essential Utilities (WTRG - Free Report) is expected to continue benefiting from acquired assets, organic growth initiatives and capital expenditures. Given its growth opportunities, WTRG makes for a solid investment option in the utility sector.
Let’s focus on the factors that make this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company a strong investment pick at the moment.
WTRG’s Growth Projections & Surprise History
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings per share (EPS) has increased 0.5% in the past 30 days to $2.11.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 sales is pinned at $2.35 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of 12.7%.
Essential Utilities’ long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 5.18%. The company delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 17.5%.
Debt Position of WTRG
Currently, Essential Utilities’ total debt to capital is 53.63%, better than the sector’s average of 59.89%.
The time-to-interest earned ratio at the end of the second quarter of 2025 was 2.9. The ratio, being greater than one, reflects the company’s ability to meet future interest obligations without difficulties.
WTRG’s Return on Equity
ROE indicates how efficiently a company has been utilizing the funds to generate higher returns. Currently, Essential Utilities’ ROE is 10.1%, higher than the sector’s average of 9.78%. This indicates that the company has been utilizing the funds more constructively than its peers in the utility sector.
Dividend History of WTRG
Essential Utilities continues to increase the value of shareholders through annual increases in dividends. The company has been paying dividends for the past 80 years and has increased the dividend 35 times in the past 34 years. Currently, its quarterly dividend is 34.26 cents per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $1.37. Its current dividend yield is 3.5%, better than the Zacks S&P 500 composite's average of 1.16%.
WTRG’s Rising Customer Base
Essential Utilities is actively exploring opportunities to expand utility operations through the acquisition of municipal assets. Since 2015, Essential Utilities has expanded utility operations by completing many water and wastewater acquisitions, adding more than 135,000 customers. Essential Utilities’ pending four acquisitions, when completed, will add more than 200,000 customers to its existing base. This is expected to create more demand and contribute positively to its top line.
WTRG’s Share Price Performance
In the past month, the stock has returned 3.2% compared with the industry’s growth of 2.2%.
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Other Stocks to Consider
A few other top-ranked stocks from the same industry are Consolidated Water (CWCO - Free Report) , California Water Service Group (CWT - Free Report) and Global Water Resources (GWRS - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CWCO’s 2025 EPS implies a decline of 6.3% from the bottom line recorded in 2024. It delivered an average earnings surprise of 40.1% in the last four quarters.
CWT’s long-term earnings growth rate is 8.78%. The company delivered an average earnings surprise of 51.6% for the past four quarters.
GWRS’ long-term earnings growth rate is 15%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS indicates a year-over-year decline of 15.4%.