Essential Utilities, Inc. WTRG
Composite 47/100; the shares have moved about 23% annualised. Names that move more contribute more risk for the same amount invested, and our composite reflects how strong the evidence for this one is right now.
Balance-sheet strength ranks 24/100 — a strong mark against it.
Income ranks 72/100 — a moderate point in its favour. Momentum ranks 62/100 — a moderate point in its favour. Growth ranks 62/100 — a slight point in its favour.
Balance-sheet strength ranks 24/100 — a strong mark against it. Valuation ranks 37/100 — a moderate mark against it.
What the company does Essential Utilities (WTRG) provides regulated water, wastewater, and natural gas services to 5.5 million customers across 9 states under the Aqua and Peoples brands. The company also offers utility service line protection and repair services, and engages in gas marketing and production.
Key financials Revenue grew 10%, but EPS fell -23.3% despite gross margins of 55.5% and net margins of 21.8%. ROE is 8.3%, ROA 2.9%, and ROCE 4.8%. Debt/Equity stands at 1.23 with net debt/EBITDA at 6.34 and interest coverage of 2.76. Dividend yield is 3.4% with a 69% payout ratio.
Stock health SideraVia scores it “Average quality, fairly valued” with overall 46.9/100. Strength (25.4) and Growth (39.4) lag, while Income (81.4) and Momentum (60.6) are stronger. Piotroski F-Score is 5/9 and Altman Z is 0.97.
Price vs fair value Essential Utilities trades at a PREMIUM of 14.80% versus our fair-value estimate of 34.38 and a discount of 3.10% to the analyst 12-month target of 41.60. - Recent earnings beats by peers (California Water, American Water) may be supporting the premium (Zacks). - Analyst target of 41.60 implies 3.10% upside from the current price (analyst count 5.0). - SideraVia’s “fairly valued” rating at the 53.5th valuation percentile tempers the premium.
Looking forward Forward P/E of 17.61 and PEG of 1.21 suggest moderate valuation relative to growth. Management’s focus on regulated utility expansion and service-line protection could support long-term stability, though EPS headwinds and leverage remain watchpoints.
This is not investment advice. Sideravia provides automated, data-driven analysis for information and education only. Nothing on this page is a personal recommendation or an invitation to buy or sell any security, and it does not consider your objectives or financial situation. Assessments are generated by rules applied uniformly to every covered stock — how our scores work.
Data as of 2026-09-04, compiled from third-party sources; errors and delays are possible and figures are not warranted. Investing puts your capital at risk; past performance does not predict future results. We publish our full track record, including the calls that lost, and our conflicts of interest.