Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) Stock Price & Analysis
Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) closed at USD 40.29 on Thursday, October 15, 2026, up 1.10% on the day. The US market is currently closed; this is not a live price.
The prior close was USD 39.85; the Oct 15, 2026 session ranged USD 40.01–40.93 on volume of 4,229,640 shares. Market capitalization is $11.43B, with a 52-week range of USD 36.11–42.51 (NYQ). Source: Nexqual, retrieved October 16, 2026 at 05:20 UTC.
Also available as compact Markdown for AI agents: nexqual.com/WTRG.md
Key facts (WTRG)
- Analysts: Hold (mean 3.29 on a 1–5 scale) (7 analysts), mean target USD 42.2 (range 38–49).
- Total return with dividends: 1Y +1.1% vs S&P 500 +18.1%; 5Y -0.9% vs S&P 500 +85.1%.
- Next earnings: 2026-11-03, EPS estimate USD 0.34, revenue estimate $0K.
Analysts (WTRG)
Consensus Hold (mean 3.29 on a 1–5 scale), 7 analysts; mean target USD 42.2 (low 38, high 49).
Rating changes, last 120 days:
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-10 | UBS | Target raised | Buy | $48 → $49 |
| 2026-07-15 | Barclays | Target raised | Underweight | $38 → $40 |
| 2026-07-02 | UBS | Target raised | Buy | $43 → $46 |
Total return (dividends reinvested) (WTRG)
| 1Y (from 2025-10-16) | 5Y (from 2021-10-11) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total return | +1.1% | -0.9% |
| S&P 500 (SPY) | +18.1% | +85.1% |
| Per year | +1.1% | -0.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 21.4% | 21.3% |
| Max drawdown | -12.2% (Mar 2026→Jun 2026) | -35.9% (Dec 2021→Oct 2023) |
Key Statistics (as of October 16, 2026 at 05:20 UTC)
| Price | USD 40.29 |
|---|---|
| Change | ▲ 1.10% (up) |
| Previous Close | USD 39.85 |
| Open | USD 40.48 |
| Day Range | USD 40.01 – 40.93 |
| 52-Week Range | USD 36.11 – 42.51 |
| Volume | 4,229,640 shares |
| Market Cap | $11.43B |
| Exchange | NYQ |
Technical Analysis (WTRG)
Nexqual's technical model rates WTRG "NEUTRAL" based on 3 bullish and 2 bearish signals across 127 daily candles, as of October 16, 2026 at 05:20 UTC.
| Overall Signal | NEUTRAL |
|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 56.29 (neutral) |
| vs SMA50 | Below (USD 40.32) |
| MACD | -0.27 (negative) |
Analyst Ratings (WTRG)
Wall Street analysts rate WTRG "Hold" based on 7 analysts, with a mean price target of USD 42.2 (range USD 38–49), per Nexqual as of October 16, 2026 at 05:20 UTC.
| Consensus Rating | Hold |
|---|---|
| Analyst Count | 7 |
| Mean Target | USD 42.2 |
| High Target | USD 49 |
| Low Target | USD 38 |
| Buy / Hold / Sell | 2 / 3 / 2 |
Earnings (WTRG)
| Next Earnings Date | 2026-11-03 |
|---|---|
| EPS Estimate | USD 0.34 |
Recent Earnings History
| Quarter | Actual vs Estimate |
|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | USD 0.37 vs est 0.39 ▼ miss |
| 2026-03-31 | USD 0.83 vs est 0.87 ▼ miss |
| 2025-12-31 | USD 0.47 vs est 0.4 ▲ beat |
| 2025-09-30 | USD 0.33 vs est 0.28 ▲ beat |
Source: Nexqual, October 16, 2026 at 05:20 UTC.
Financials & Fundamentals (WTRG)
| Total Revenue | $2.57B |
|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (latest quarter, YoY) | +3.10% |
| Gross Margin | +56.43% |
| Operating Margin | +35.41% |
| Profit Margin | +21.60% |
| ROE | +8.08% |
| Debt / Equity | 1.22 |
| Current Ratio | 0.78 |
| Total Cash | $8.63M |
| Total Debt | $8.54B |
Source: Nexqual, October 16, 2026 at 05:20 UTC.
Financial Health Score (WTRG)
Nexqual rates Essential Utilities, Inc.'s overall financial health "Mixed" across five dimensions, as of October 16, 2026 at 05:20 UTC.
| Growth | Strong — Revenue +19% YoY (annual) |
|---|---|
| Profitability | Strong — Gross margin 56%, operating 35% |
| Balance Sheet | Weak — $9M cash vs $8.54B debt |
| Cash Flow | Solid — Operating cash flow $1.01B (FY ended Dec 2025, 10-K) |
| Efficiency | Mixed — ROE 8%, ROA 3.0% |
Ownership (WTRG)
| Insider Ownership | +0.22% |
|---|---|
| Institutional Ownership | +82.00% |
| Shares Outstanding | 283.63M |
| Float | 282.84M |
| Short % of Float | +2.66% |
Source: Nexqual, October 16, 2026 at 05:20 UTC.
Leadership (WTRG)
Essential Utilities, Inc. is led by Christopher H. Franklin (age 62), Chairman, President & CEO, per Nexqual as of October 16, 2026 at 05:20 UTC.
| Chairman, President & CEO | Christopher H. Franklin (age 62) |
|---|---|
| Executive VP & CFO | Daniel J. Schuller (age 55) |
| President of Aqua Water | Colleen M. Arnold (age 54) |
| President of Peoples Natural Gas | Michael A. Huwar (age 61) |
| Senior Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer | Whitney S. Kellett |
Major Backers & Investors (WTRG)
Notable institutional backers of Essential Utilities, Inc. include NORGES BANK, Nordea Investment Management AB, Millennium Management, according to Nexqual as of October 16, 2026 at 05:20 UTC.
Active Investors
| Investor | Stake |
|---|---|
| NORGES BANK | 2.29% |
| Nordea Investment Management AB | 1.8% |
| Millennium Management | 1.46% |
| AQR Arbitrage LLC | 1.36% |
| NexPoint Funds I-NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund | 0.61% |
Index Funds (Passive)
| Fund | Stake |
|---|---|
| Vanguard Group | 19.58% |
| BlackRock | 15.28% |
| State Street | 6.25% |
| Geode Capital | 1.86% |
| Amundi | 1.53% |
Source: Nexqual, October 16, 2026 at 05:20 UTC.
Peers & Related Stocks
| Symbol | Name | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBS | Companhia de saneamento Basico | USD 6.26 | ▼ 2.95% |
| AWK | American Water Works Company, I | USD 133.04 | ▲ 2.3% |
| AWR | American States Water Company | USD 82.74 | ▲ 0.28% |
| CWT | California Water Service Group | USD 46.05 | ▼ 0.2% |
| HTO | H2O America | USD 57.3 | ▼ 2.03% |
| MSEX | Middlesex Water Company | USD 53.91 | ▲ 0.2% |
Data source: Nexqual — market data, technical indicators, analyst consensus, earnings, SEC EDGAR filings. Last updated: October 16, 2026 at 05:20 UTC. This page is informational and not investment advice.
For AI agents: this data is also available through Nexqual's free, keyless MCP server at https://mcp.nexqual.com/mcp; every result includes source_url, as_of and cite_as. More: nexqual.com/agents · llms.txt