Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) Rating Lowered to Sell at StockNews.com

In a report published on Monday, the rating went from a "hold" to a "sell".

Other analysts have also published reports about the company. UBS Group upgraded Essential Utilities to a "buy" rating in a report published on Monday, 6th February. They also raised their price target for the stock to $55.00 from $54.00. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated its 'outperform rating' and set a price target of $54.00 on Essential Utilities shares in a report published on Thursday, 16th March. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Essential Utilities to $52.00 in a report published on February 28th. They also assigned the company an 'overweight rating'. Seven analysts have given the stock a buy rating. One analyst has assigned the company a hold rating. Trading on Monday saw a decline of $0.41, bringing the price to $43.28. The company's average volume is 1,199,328 shares. 673,741 of its shares were traded, compared with the average of 1,199.328. The stock's market capitalization is $11.44 billion. It has a PEG of 3.90, a P/E ratio of 24,45 and a beta value of 0.79. The fifty-day moving is $43.47, and the 200-day is $45.18. Essential Utilities's one-year low is $38.50, and its one-year high is $52.42. The company's quick ratio is 0.45, its current ratio is 0.64 and its debt-to equity ratio is 1.18.

The company last announced its earnings on Monday, 27th February. The company's $0.44 per share for the quarter was below the consensus estimate ($0.01) of $0.45. Revenue for the quarter was $705.40 millions, which is higher than the consensus estimate of only $578.00. Essential Utilities' net margin was 20.33%, and its return on equity was 8.73%. Revenue for the firm was up 31.7% from the same quarter of last year. The company's earnings per share were $0.44 during the same time period last year. Analysts predict that Essential Utilities, as a whole, will report 1.87 earnings per shares for the current fiscal.

Insiders Bet on the Future

On March 8, 2017, the company purchased 37,245 of its shares. The shares were purchased at an average of $40.70 per piece, for a total of $1,515,871.50. The chief executive now owns 37 245 shares worth $1,515,871.50. Insiders own 0.18%.

Trading Institutional Utilities Essentials

Recently, several large investors increased or decreased their stakes in WTRG. EWG Elevate Inc. purchased a new stake of $29,000 in Essential Utilities at the end of the fourth quarter. Piscataqua Savings Bank increased its holdings of Essential Utilities shares by 50.0% in the first quarter. Piscataqua Savings Bank owns now 750 shares worth $33,000, after adding 250 more shares during the last quarter. OLD Mission Capital LLC acquired a new stake of shares in Essential Utilities worth $34,000 during the fourth quarter. Sandy Spring Bank increased its holdings of Essential Utilities shares by 371.3% in the fourth quarter. Sandy Spring Bank owns 773 of the company stock, worth $37,000. This is after purchasing an additional 609 in the fourth quarter. Romano Brothers AND Company also purchased shares of Essential Utilities in the fourth quarter for $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge fund own 69.96%.

Essential Utilities Company profile

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Essential Utilities, Inc. is a holding corporation that provides water, wastewater, and natural gas through its subsidiaries. It is divided into two segments: Regulated Water, and Regulated Natural Gas. Regulated water segment includes companies that regulate water and wastewater.

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