Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) Stock Forecast Oct. 14, 2026
Analysis updated on Oct. 14, 2026 (UTC) · Total · absolute moveSwitch to Alpha · NYSE
Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) stock forecast summary
Our AI ranks Essential Utilities, Inc. outside the neutral middle of its coverage (a directional signal). Create a free account and follow it to see the exact price target.
Essential Utilities, Inc. is a large-cap company with a market capitalization of $11.15B. It ranks number 2 by market capitalization among the 11 Water Supply issuers in our coverage with a current forecast.
A per-ticker accuracy statistic for WTRG is published only once its sample size is known. Across our coverage, the out-of-sample test on 4537 stocks from 2025-01-06 to 2026-06-09 produced a positive net return in 73.7% of rebalance periods (factor-neutral book, net of estimated costs). Full backtest report
Expected absolute price move over the horizon, market included. This is the number a price target is built from. Ratings: strong buy ≥ +4.5%, buy ≥ +3.4%, sell < +2.1%, strong sell < +0.9% (top 15%, next 20%, middle 30%, next 20%, bottom 15% of the 2026-10-13 signals)
A free account shows the exact forecast, rating and rank of 3 tickers you follow, WTRG included.
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How WTRG ranks among 5379 stocks
90D Total forecasts of every company scored, cut into five relative ratings at the 15th, 35th, 65th and 85th percentiles (dashed lines).
Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) fundamentals
Trailing twelve months. The industry median and the rank (1 = highest) are taken over the Water Supply peers listed below that report each metric.
Reported net income does not reconcile with earnings per share and the share count, so net-income-based ratios are withheld.
Valuation & Market
| Metric | WTRG | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $11.15B | 2/11 |
| P/B Ratio | 1.59x | 9/11 |
| Dividend Yield | 3.47% | 3/10 |
| EPS | $1.16 | – |
| Book Value/Share | $24.73 | – |
| Revenue/Share | $9.05 | – |
Profitability & Margins
| Metric | WTRG | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| ROIC | 4.7% | 6/11 |
| Operating Margin | 32.3% | 3/10 |
| EBT Margin | 20.9% | 5/10 |
| Tax Rate | 5.0% | – |
Financial Health
| Metric | WTRG | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 0.78x | 7/11 |
| Quick Ratio | 0.68x | 5/7 |
| D/E Ratio | 1.84x | 6/12 |
| Financial Leverage | 2.84x | 7/12 |
| Interest Coverage | 2.2x | 7/11 |
| Working Capital | -$134M | 9/11 |
Cash Flow
| Metric | WTRG | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash Flow | $1.03B | 2/11 |
| OCF Growth YoY | 12.2% | 7/10 |
Operational Efficiency
| Metric | WTRG | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Asset Turnover | 0.13x | 10/11 |
| Receivables Turnover | 12.4x | 6/11 |
| Fixed Assets Turnover | 0.2x | 5/7 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | 30 days | 6/11 |
Income Statement
| Metric | WTRG | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | $2.57B | 2/11 |
| Operating Income | $900M | 2/11 |
Dividend & Shareholder Information
| Metric | WTRG | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Dividends Per Share | $1.36 | – |
| Payout Ratio | 117.2% | 2/9 |
| Shares Outstanding | 284M | – |
Balance Sheet Highlights (USD millions)
| Total Current Assets | $465M | 2.3% of assets |
| Cash & Short-term Investments | $9M | 0.0% of assets |
| Accounts Receivable | $208M | 1.0% of assets |
| Inventory | $56M | 0.3% of assets |
| Total Liabilities | $12.92B | 64.8% of assets |
| Short-term Debt | $400M | 2.0% of assets |
WTRG quarterly financials and insider trading
Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) industry peers
Companies classified under the same SEC industry code as Essential Utilities, Inc. (Water Supply): 13 common-stock issuers with a forecast this week, one row per issuer, largest first. This is a classification match, not a curated list of competitors.
Reveal all forecasts · See exact % predictions for all competitors
Sign up free| Company | 90-Day AI Forecast (Total) | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|
| WTRG Essential Utilities, Inc. | ▼ | $11.15B |
| AWK American Water Works Company, Inc. | ▼ | $25.84B |
| AWR American States Water Co | ▼ | $3.27B |
| CWT California Water Service Group | ▼ | $2.85B |
| HTO H2o America | ▼ | $2.45B |
| MSEX Middlesex Water Co | ▶ | $1.01B |
| CWCO Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. | ▲ | $485M |
| ARTNA Artesian Resources Corp | ▶ | $349M |
| CDZI Cadiz Inc | ▲ | $288M |
| PCYO Pure Cycle Corp | ▶ | $271M |
| GWRS Global Water Resources, Inc. | ▲ | $232M |
| EESH Eestech, Inc. | ▶ | N/A |
| SBS Companhia De Saneamento Basico Do Estado De Sao Paulo-Sabesp | ▶ | N/A |
Where WTRG sits on the market map
Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) stock news
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Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) stock forecast FAQ
What is the Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG) stock forecast?
Our AI ranks Essential Utilities, Inc. outside the neutral middle of its coverage (a directional signal). Create a free account and follow it to see the exact price target.
How accurate are Essential Utilities, Inc. stock predictions?
A per-ticker accuracy statistic for WTRG is published only once its sample size is known. Across our coverage, the out-of-sample test on 4537 stocks from 2025-01-06 to 2026-06-09 produced a positive net return in 73.7% of rebalance periods (factor-neutral book, net of estimated costs). Full backtest report
How often are Essential Utilities, Inc. forecasts updated?
Essential Utilities, Inc. forecasts are refreshed on trading days as the daily model run completes. The forecast on this page was produced on Oct. 14, 2026.
Which companies are Essential Utilities, Inc.'s industry peers?
13 issuers in our coverage, WTRG included, share the SEC industry code Water Supply. The largest are: American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK), American States Water Co (AWR), California Water Service Group (CWT), H2o America (HTO), Middlesex Water Co (MSEX), Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (CWCO).
This analysis is generated automatically using our proprietary AI systems and should not be considered personalized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always conduct your own research and consider consulting a financial advisor before making investment decisions.