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Essential Utilities Inc (WTRG)

Overvalued
UtilitiesUtilities - Regulated WaterUnited States

Fundamental

61

Price

$39.19

Market Cap

$11.06B

Part 1 · What the company is worth

Overview

Essential Utilities, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates regulated utilities that provide water, wastewater, and natural gas services in the United States. The company operates through Regulated Water; and Regulated Natural Gas segments. It also provides utility service line protection solutions and repair services to households; gas marketing and production activities; and natural gas distribution services. The company serves approximately 5.5 million residential water, commercial water, fire protection, industrial water, wastewater, and other water and utility customers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky under the Aqua and Peoples brands. The company was formerly known as Aqua America, Inc. and changed its name to Essential Utilities, Inc. in February 2020. Essential Utilities, Inc. was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

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Direct competitors

Who this company fights with for the same customers

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No competitor list for this company yet.

Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Revenue

$2.57B

Trailing 12 months (through 6/30/2026)

Net Income

$555M

Trailing 12 months (through 6/30/2026)

Free Cash Flow

-

Total Equity

$6.86B

Total Liabilities

$12.61B

Current Ratio

0.78

Interest Coverage

2.62

Debt/EBITDA

8.64

Earnings Per Share

Revenue & Net Income

Free Cash Flow

Income Breakdown

Historical statement

Margins over time

Debt over time

How heavy the debt is

Growth grid

Growth — Revenue

Fair Value Estimation

Regulated utilityOvervalued

Fair Value

$29.09

Current Price

$39.19

Margin of Safety

-34.7%

Fair Value Range

$18.91 - $39.27

Spread across the valuation methods used, not a statistically calibrated confidence interval.

Estimation Methods

Analyst price target:$42.20
Discounted cash flow (DCF):$4.66
Earnings multiple (P/E):$33.72
Graham growth formula:Not applicable to this type of company
Earnings power value (EPV):$31.30
Justified P/B:Not applicable to this type of company
Dividend discount (Gordon):$28.61
P/FFO, funds from operations:Not applicable to this type of company
Mid-cycle earnings:Not applicable to this type of company
Revenue multiple:Not applicable to this type of company
Analyst Consensus:Buy (8B / 4H / 1S)
Last Earnings Surprise:-2.40%

Valuation Metrics

P/E Ratio

20.10

ROE

9.0%

P/B Ratio

1.58

P/FCF

-

Gross Margin

-

ROIC

3.7%

Profitability Radar

Value Creation (Economic Moat)

ROIC

3.7%

WACC

5.1%

ROIC − WACC

-1.4 pp

ROIC is below the cost of capital — the company is destroying value for every dollar invested.

Fundamental Analysis Criteria

Passed (16)

  • EPS shows upward trend
  • EPS CAGR 6.48%
  • P/B Ratio 1.58
  • Debt/Equity ratio
  • Operating Margin 35.1%
  • Current Ratio
  • Interest Coverage
  • Return on Tangible Assets
  • ROE 8.1%
  • Revenue Growth 5Y 11.1%
  • Analyst Consensus 62% Buy
  • Earnings Surprise avg 2.7%
  • PEG Ratio 1.40
  • Earnings Quality (OCF/NI) 1.85
  • Share Dilution 2.1%
  • Piotroski F-Score 6/9

Failed (7)

  • Price CAGR 3.18%
  • ROIC 3.7%
  • Debt/EBITDA
  • Low reliance on intangibles
  • Price below Graham Number
  • DCF valuation (Overvalued)
  • Net Margin Trend 21.6% vs 27.6%

Unavailable (5)

  • Gross Margin NaN%
  • P/FCF NaN
  • Dividend Payout NaN%
  • Positive Free Cash Flow
  • CapEx intensity

Piotroski F-Score

6/9

Mixed signals: some areas need attention

score
criteria

Earnings Quality

1.85

High quality: earnings backed by cash

Share Dilution

2.1%

Issuing new shares, diluting ownership

Institutional Holdings

No institutional filings reported for this company.

Governance

Executive Team

NameTitleAge
Mr. Christopher H. FranklinChairman, President & CEO62
Mr. Daniel J. Schuller Ph.D.Executive VP & CFO55
Mr. Christopher Paul Luning J.D.Executive VP, General Counsel & Compliance Officer57
Ms. Colleen M. ArnoldPresident of Aqua Water54
Mr. Michael A. HuwarPresident of Peoples Natural Gas61
Mr. Bradley J. PalmerVP & Chief Accounting Officer42
Mr. Sumit NairVP & Chief Information Officer-
Ms. Whitney S. KellettSenior Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer-
Mr. Brian DingerdissenVice President of Financial Planning & Analysis, Treasury, and Investor Relations-
Mr. David KralleVice President of Public Affairs-

Audit Risk

2

Board Risk

3

Compensation Risk

1

Shareholder Rights Risk

4

Part 2 · The price and when to enter

This part won't tell you whether the company is worth owning: it helps you choose when to buy it, once the fundamentals have convinced you. Inside: technical analysis, potential, historical drawdowns, gamma exposure.

Documents

  • Annual Report (10-K)

    A yearly overview of the business, its financial results, and the risks it faces.

    Filed on 2026-02-26

    View document
  • Quarterly Report (10-Q)

    A snapshot of financial performance for the most recent three-month period.

    Filed on 2026-08-05

    View document
  • Current Report (8-K)

    An announcement of a major event, such as a leadership change or big news.

    Filed on 2026-09-17

    View document

via SEC EDGAR

Income History

via SEC EDGAR

Latest News

Recent headlines for WTRG, sourced from Markets Gazette.

  • 2/26/2026NEUTRAL
    WTRG Reports Earnings

    WTRG has announced its financial earnings, a standard event closely watched by investors to assess corporate performance. However, the specific details of this report, including revenues, earnings per share, and future guidance, have not been disclosed or are currently unavailable. Without this crucial information, the market remains in anticipation of concrete data to form a judgment on the financial impact. Earnings releases are key moments for transparency and valuation, but the absence of data prevents immediate directional analysis.

via Markets Gazette