# Essential Utilities share price today (Essential Utilities, Inc., WTRG)

> Essential Utilities, Inc. is reporting record margins. WTRG · Utilities · Utilities - Regulated Water · data as of 3 November 2026. Page: https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/wtrg

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## Key numbers

- Business trend: Getting worse, from the last 12 quarters
- Price: $44.04 (+12.8% in a year)
- P/E: 22.0× (higher than 69% of the last 4.6 years)
- Revenue (Jun 2026): $531 M (+3.1% on a year ago)
- Profit (Jun 2026): $106 M (−1.9% on a year ago)
- Operating margin: 35.4% (−0.5 points on a year ago)
- ROE: 9%, FY25
- ROIC: 3.7%, against a 6.1% cost of capital: −2.4 points

Biggest thing to watch: margins are the best this company has ever reported. Every ratio looks better at a record, so the story depends on margins staying high. ## What is the Essential Utilities share price today? Essential Utilities, Inc.'s share price was $44.04 at the close on 3 November 2026. It has been rising for 4 weeks. That is 11.6% above its average price over the last 200 trading days. In the last 52 weeks it traded between $37 and $44, and at that close it was at the high of that range. Over the past 13 weeks it has done better than the S&P 500, and it has stayed ahead for 4 weeks in a row. Over the last 10 years the share price moved +27% while the S&P 500 moved +255%, so it is behind the index over that whole period. The chart above shows the 13-week comparison for every week. This page treats a rise as over when the price closes below its 200-day average on two Fridays in a row. ## What dividend does Essential Utilities pay? Essential Utilities, Inc. paid $1.37 per share over the last four reported quarters. The most recent declaration was $0.34 for Jun 2026. At today's price of $44.04 that is a yield of 3.11%, based on dividends already paid, not a forecast. ## Which stock lists is Essential Utilities on? Essential Utilities is not in the Nasdaq 100, the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones 30, and is not on the US tech stocks list. ## Is Essential Utilities profitable? Essential Utilities, Inc. earned $106 M of net profit in the Jun 2026 quarter, −1.9% on the same quarter a year earlier. Full-year FY25 profit was $616 M. Over 4 years profit has grown 9.3% a year on average. That is 19.9% of the quarter's revenue. The same quarter a year earlier earned $108 M. For the full year, FY25 profit was $616 M (+3.5% on the year before). Why profit moved: revenue changed +3.1% on a year earlier and the margin moved −0.5 percentage points. Sales did the work, and the margin was about flat. On average over the last four quarters, profit changed −4.6% and revenue +9.6%. Profit is growing slower than sales: rising costs are taking part of the growth. ## How much revenue does Essential Utilities make, and is it growing? Essential Utilities, Inc. reported $531 M of revenue in the Jun 2026 quarter, +3.1% on the same quarter a year earlier. That is the 8th quarter in a row with growth on the year before. Over 4 years it has grown 7.1% a year on average. The last full year, FY25, came in at $2.5 B. The last four reported quarters add to $2.6 B. FY25 revenue was $2.5 B, +18.6% on the year before. Recent pace: the last four quarters grew +9.6% on average, against 7.1% a year over the longer run, so this year is growing faster than its own long-run rate. Is growth speeding up? Revenue over the last 12 months grew +9.9%, against +15.2% a year over the last 8 quarters (rolling over); profit over the last 12 months grew −14.1%, against −0.2% a year (rolling over). ## How much of every $100 of sales does Essential Utilities keep? Essential Utilities, Inc.'s operating margin was 35.4% in the Jun 2026 quarter, 0.5 percentage points lower than the same quarter a year ago. Its latest full-year margin is the highest it has ever reported. Across 5 years it has been between 29.3% and 36.9%. The latest quarter is within that range. Across 5 years it has been between 29.3% and 36.9%, and FY25's 36.9% is the highest of them. Why: the operating margin move is clear, but the cost details behind it are not in our data, so we show the move without guessing the reason. When margins are at a record, every ratio built on profit looks better than usual, so watch whether they hold. ## Is Essential Utilities' profit turning into cash? Over the last 3 years, 159% of Essential Utilities, Inc.'s reported profit came in as cash from its operations, so the profit is backed by cash. In FY25 it brought in $1.0 B of operating cash against $616 M of profit. After $1.4 B of spending on assets, free cash was −$420 M: it spent more than its operations brought in. Cash-flow figures here are yearly, because quarterly cash statements are not published, so this section changes once a year. Why: the cash figure is clear, but the day counts behind it are not in our data, so we show it without guessing the reason. What to look at next: the main use of cash is spending on assets. The next section checks what that spending is building. ## Where does Essential Utilities' cash go? Essential Utilities, Inc. does not report the customer, stock and supplier day counts a cash cycle needs, so this section looks at its spending on assets instead. It spent $4.0 B on assets over the last 3 years. Averaged over those years that is 53.3% of FY25 revenue a year. Nothing is estimated in place of the missing day counts, so no cash-cycle chart is drawn. Spending on assets: $4.0 B over the last 3 years. In short: the cash is going into new capacity, not getting stuck in the daily cycle. The question is whether the new capacity earns. ## What is Essential Utilities' P/E ratio, and how does it compare with its own history? Essential Utilities, Inc.'s P/E is 22.0×, in the middle of its own history: higher than 69% of past readings. Its usual P/E (the middle reading) is 19.8×, over 4.6 years of weekly prices. This compares the share price with the company’s own past. It does not say what the business is worth. Why the multiple is where it is: over the past year earnings per share moved +1.4% while the price moved +12.8%. The price did better than earnings, which pushed the multiple up within its own range. Where the price move came from: over 3 years the price moved +7.1% a year; about +2.9% a year came from earnings growth and about +4.2 percentage points from the multiple (the market paying more). The split is approximate (price return minus earnings growth). It shows how much of the move came from the market paying a different multiple. In short: the multiple is high against its own past, so the earnings trend underneath matters more than the multiple. ## Is the Essential Utilities business getting better or worse? Essential Utilities, Inc.'s business is getting worse. Profit and EPS growth are shrinking: profit growth is −14.1% in the latest quarter, against +25.2% at its best in 12 quarters, with ROCE steady at 4.8%. This is based on 12 quarters of 4 measures. Why it matters: falling lines mean any ratio below that looks low should be read with that direction in mind. ## How much does Essential Utilities earn on its capital? Essential Utilities, Inc. earned a ROE of 9% in FY25. Its return on capital used (ROIC) is 2.4 percentage points below its cost of capital, so growth here does not yet pay for the capital it uses. It comes from a 24.9% net margin and 0.13× asset turnover (sales divided by assets). Why the return is what it is (FY25): a 24.9% net margin × 0.13× asset turnover × 2.84× leverage (assets divided by equity) ≈ 9.2% on equity. The margin does most of the work; borrowing is a big part of it. The key test, return on capital used minus the cost of capital: 3.7% − 6.1% = −2.4 percentage points. The 6.1% is an estimate of this company's own cost of capital. Read the sign and size of the gap, not the decimals. Negative: growth at these returns loses value until returns improve. ## Does Essential Utilities have too much debt? Essential Utilities, Inc. has total debt of $8.5 B against shareholder equity of $7.0 B as of Jun 2026, so its debt is 1.22× its equity. Year by year, that ratio went from 1.18 in FY21 to 1.22 in FY25. Keep that borrowing in mind when reading the returns on this page. ## What is the Essential Utilities shareholding pattern? 2.6% of Essential Utilities, Inc.'s tradable shares are in short positions, which are bets that the price will fall, so some traders are betting against it. At normal trading volumes, closing those positions would take about 2.9 days. US companies do not publish a quarter-by-quarter list of owners, so this page uses short interest instead. It is a single reading at one point in time; we do not have its history. Why it is at this level: the figure does not say who holds the short positions or why, so we show the level without guessing the story. ## How far is Essential Utilities from balance-sheet trouble? For Essential Utilities, Inc., the Z-score is not available, so we say so rather than guess one. It estimates how far the balance sheet is from trouble; it is not a forecast of failure. The debt, cash-flow and return sections show the balance-sheet figures we do have, each with its own date. ## How does Essential Utilities rank in its industry? 62.7 out of 100, rank 2 of 13 in Utilities - Regulated Water, with 79% of the evidence available. Essential Utilities, Inc. scores 62.7 out of 100 against the 13 companies it is compared with in Utilities - Regulated Water, ranking 2. Relative strength against the index is 6.1%, and revenue and profit growth are weak. The four parts add up to the total exactly: 14.9 + 13.1 + 15.3 + 19.4 = 62.7. This is the same number shown on the industry page; it is worked out once for the whole group and read here. What would change it: The score would fall if profit growth turns negative or margins stop improving while the share price lags its sector. ## Which companies is Essential Utilities compared with? Essential Utilities ranks 2 of 13 Utilities - Regulated Water companies on the 4-Factor Sector Score, with 62.7 out of 100. 1. [American States Water Company](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/awr) AWR · turning · Evidence leans up · 79% evidence 63.2 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 25.0/35 · Revenue 13.2% · Profit 14.4% · Operating margin change n/a · 76% evidence Capital efficiency 16.2/25 · ROCE 8.9% · Operating margin 29.5% · 76% evidence Valuation 8.4/20 · P/E 22.7× · PEG 1.9 · 65% evidence Relative strength 13.6/20 · Lead over its industry 7.8% · Lead over S&P 500 4.7% · 1 year 16.1% · 100% evidence · 5 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 25 + 16.2 + 8.4 + 13.6 = 63.2 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 2. Essential Utilities, Inc. this page WTRG · turning · Evidence leans up · 79% evidence 62.7 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 14.9/35 · Revenue 9.9% · Profit -14.1% · Operating margin change n/a · 76% evidence Capital efficiency 13.1/25 · ROCE 4.6% · Operating margin 32.6% · 76% evidence Valuation 15.3/20 · P/E 19.6× · PEG 0.77 · 65% evidence Relative strength 19.4/20 · Lead over its industry 9.6% · Lead over S&P 500 6.1% · 1 year 11.1% · 100% evidence · 7 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 14.9 + 13.1 + 15.3 + 19.4 = 62.7 · What this means: Relative strength against the index is 6.1%, and revenue and profit growth are weak. 3. [The York Water Company](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/yorw) YORW · turning · Evidence leans up · 79% evidence 56.4 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 23.7/35 · Revenue 9.2% · Profit 20% · Operating margin change n/a · 76% evidence Capital efficiency 13.0/25 · ROCE 4.5% · Operating margin 42.8% · 76% evidence Valuation 12.0/20 · P/E 20.9× · PEG 1.24 · 65% evidence Relative strength 7.7/20 · Lead over its industry -1.6% · Lead over S&P 500 -4.8% · 1 year -1.2% · 100% evidence · 5 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 23.7 + 13 + 12 + 7.7 = 56.4 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 4. [American Water Works Company, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/awk) AWK · turning · Evidence leans up · 79% evidence 55.6 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 18.0/35 · Revenue 6.9% · Profit 4.2% · Operating margin change n/a · 76% evidence Capital efficiency 14.6/25 · ROCE 6% · Operating margin 33% · 76% evidence Valuation 4.7/20 · P/E 22.8× · PEG 3.98 · 65% evidence Relative strength 18.3/20 · Lead over its industry 8.5% · Lead over S&P 500 5% · 1 year 11.9% · 100% evidence · 7 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 18 + 14.6 + 4.7 + 18.3 = 55.6 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 5. [Middlesex Water Company](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/msex) MSEX · turning · Evidence leans up · 79% evidence 54.3 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 20.6/35 · Revenue 5.6% · Profit 13.9% · Operating margin change n/a · 76% evidence Capital efficiency 13.0/25 · ROCE 4.9% · Operating margin 26.7% · 76% evidence Valuation 6.4/20 · P/E 21.9× · PEG 2.92 · 65% evidence Relative strength 14.3/20 · Lead over its industry 5.1% · Lead over S&P 500 1.8% · 1 year 7.6% · 100% evidence · 2 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 20.6 + 13 + 6.4 + 14.3 = 54.3 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 6. [Pure Cycle Corporation](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/pcyo) PCYO · quiet · Evidence leans up · 75% evidence 51.6 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 23.2/35 · Revenue 17.9% · Profit 7.1% · Operating margin change n/a · 76% evidence Capital efficiency 12.4/25 · ROCE 7.7% · Operating margin n/a · 61% evidence Valuation 11.2/20 · P/E 16.9× · PEG 1.55 · 65% evidence Relative strength 4.8/20 · Lead over its industry -5.5% · Lead over S&P 500 -8.5% · 1 year -3.6% · 100% evidence · 2 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 23.2 + 12.4 + 11.2 + 4.8 = 51.6 · What this means: Earnings are strong; relative strength in its sector is -5.5% and the one-year return is -3.6%. 7. [California Water Service Group](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/cwt) CWT · basing · Evidence leans down · 79% evidence 45.9 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 12.5/35 · Revenue 6.5% · Profit -2.9% · Operating margin change n/a · 76% evidence Capital efficiency 8.6/25 · ROCE 4% · Operating margin 19.8% · 76% evidence Valuation 13.6/20 · P/E 21.9× · PEG 0.89 · 65% evidence Relative strength 11.2/20 · Lead over its industry 4.1% · Lead over S&P 500 0.9% · 1 year 5.4% · 100% evidence · 2 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 12.5 + 8.6 + 13.6 + 11.2 = 45.9 · What this means: The valuation scores well, but earnings are not improving yet, so the business does not back up the low multiple so far. 8. [Artesian Resources Corporation](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/artna) ARTNA · basing · Evidence leans down · 79% evidence 44.8 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 18.2/35 · Revenue 5.4% · Profit 9.1% · Operating margin change n/a · 76% evidence Capital efficiency 11.3/25 · ROCE 4.4% · Operating margin 27.1% · 76% evidence Valuation 7.1/20 · P/E 14.8× · PEG 2.93 · 65% evidence Relative strength 8.2/20 · Lead over its industry 0.2% · Lead over S&P 500 -2.9% · 1 year 1.8% · 100% evidence · 4 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 18.2 + 11.3 + 7.1 + 8.2 = 44.8 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 9. [H2O America](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/hto) HTO · quiet · Evidence leans down · 79% evidence 44.4 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 12.9/35 · Revenue 4.9% · Profit 2.9% · Operating margin change n/a · 76% evidence Capital efficiency 9.5/25 · ROCE 3.6% · Operating margin 21.4% · 76% evidence Valuation 11.5/20 · P/E 23.8× · PEG 1.08 · 65% evidence Relative strength 10.5/20 · Lead over its industry 4.4% · Lead over S&P 500 1.4% · 1 year 27.2% · 100% evidence · 5 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 12.9 + 9.5 + 11.5 + 10.5 = 44.4 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 10. [Global Water Resources, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/gwrs) GWRS · breaking out · Evidence leans down · 79% evidence 43.2 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 14.1/35 · Revenue 15.1% · Profit -33.3% · Operating margin change n/a · 76% evidence Capital efficiency 6.8/25 · ROCE 1.8% · Operating margin 21.4% · 76% evidence Valuation 11.3/20 · P/E 66.4× · PEG 1.06 · 65% evidence Relative strength 11.0/20 · Lead over its industry -1.3% · Lead over S&P 500 -4.6% · 1 year -19.6% · 100% evidence · 11 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 14.1 + 6.8 + 11.3 + 11 = 43.2 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 11. [Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo - SABESP](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/sbs) SBS · quiet · Evidence leans down · 79% evidence 39.7 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative
12. [Cadiz Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/cdzi) CDZI · turning · Too little evidence to rank firmly · 53% evidence 30.4 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative
13. [Consolidated Water Co. Ltd.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/cwco) CWCO · quiet · Most evidence points down · 79% evidence 28.5 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative

Missing figures are not scored as bad. They lower the confidence and pull the final score toward the middle. Relative strength counts only when the company has a reading for this week; with no reading, that factor is left out and its 20 points are shared across the other three in proportion. PEG is not shown when the ratio cannot mean anything: the company must be making a profit, its price-to-earnings must be positive, and its three-year earnings growth must fall between 5% and 60%. Dividing a price multiple by a loss, or by growth measured off a tiny base, produces a number that looks precise and tells you nothing. Under relative strength, one mark per week shows the last 12 weeks: a mark is filled where the company led S&P 500 by 5% or more over the 13 weeks ending that week, which is the same test used everywhere on this site. Price stage places the company on the same six-step path the industry is placed on (basing, turning, breaking out, leader, fading, asleep), read from how many weeks running it has led S&P 500 and whether that lead is growing or shrinking. It describes where the share price stands, not the direction of earnings, and it is not a recommendation; it is left blank for a company whose weekly history is too short or too stale to read. The figures in this ranking come from the industry comparison: results through the Jun 2026 quarter, and the P/E at that quarter's end. The sections above use the latest weekly price, so a P/E or return there can differ a little from the one here. The stage words in this ranking (such as losing its lead or breaking out) describe the lead over the index, not the price phase in the price section. Related companies: [Utilities - Regulated Water](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/sectors/utilities-regulated-water), all 13 compared on one page. ## Which companies are close to Essential Utilities in size? Essential Utilities is the 3rd largest of 13 Utilities - Regulated Water companies on Sector Alpha by market value (scores of 3 November 2026). Just above it: American Water Works Company, Inc. and Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo - SABESP. Just below it: American States Water Company, California Water Service Group, H2O America and Middlesex Water Company. ### Utilities - Regulated Water companies close in size

1. [American Water Works Company, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/awk) $29.2 billion
2. [Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo - SABESP](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/sbs) $15.5 billion
3. Essential Utilities, Inc. $12.5 billion
4. [American States Water Company](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/awr) $3.4 billion
5. [California Water Service Group](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/cwt) $3.1 billion
6. [H2O America](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/hto) $2.9 billion
7. [Middlesex Water Company](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/msex) $1.1 billion

[All 13 Utilities - Regulated Water companies, largest first](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/sectors/utilities-regulated-water#all-companies)

### Companies close in size in other industries

1. [DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/dks) $12.6 billion · Specialty Retail
2. [Smith & Nephew plc](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/snn) $12.6 billion · Medical Devices
3. Essential Utilities, Inc. $12.6 billion
4. [The Magnum Ice Cream Company N.V.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/micc) $12.6 billion · Packaged Foods
5. [Webster Financial Corporation](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/wbs) $12.6 billion · Banks - Regional

## What else do people ask about Essential Utilities? ### What were Essential Utilities's latest quarterly results? Essential Utilities, Inc. reported revenue of $531 M and net profit of $106 M for the Jun 2026 quarter. Revenue rose 3.1% and profit fell 1.9% compared with a year earlier. Earnings per share were $0.37. The operating margin was 35.4%, 0.5 percentage points lower than a year earlier (as of 3 November 2026). ### What is Essential Utilities's market cap? Essential Utilities, Inc.'s market capitalisation is $12.5 B at a stock price of $44.04. Market cap is the share price times the number of shares, so it changes whenever the price moves (as of 3 November 2026). ### How is Essential Utilities performing? Essential Utilities, Inc.'s share price has been rising for 4 weeks. In its latest quarter, revenue rose 3.1% and profit fell 1.9% compared with a year earlier. Over the past 13 weeks it has done better than the S&P 500, for 4 weeks running (as of 3 November 2026). ### Will Essential Utilities's stock price go up? This page does not forecast Essential Utilities, Inc.'s stock price. What it shows instead: the stock price is $44.04, and it has been rising for 4 weeks. Its P/E of 22.0× is higher than 69% of its own last 5 years (as of 3 November 2026). ### Where is Essential Utilities in its business cycle? Essential Utilities, Inc.'s FY25 operating margin was 36.9%, against a 5-year range of 29.3% to 36.9%: the top of its range, a record year. When profit is at a record, every ratio looks better than usual, and the story depends on margins staying high. The latest quarter was 35.4%. Comparing margins with a company's own long history is a good way to see where it is in its cycle (as of 3 November 2026). ### What could break the Essential Utilities story? Biggest thing to watch: margins are the best this company has ever reported. Every ratio looks better at a record, so the story depends on margins staying high. On price, this page treats a rise as over when the share price closes below its 200-day average on two Fridays in a row (as of 3 November 2026). ### Is Essential Utilities a stock worth studying right now? What the numbers show: Essential Utilities, Inc. is reporting record margins. The main open question: the next one or two quarters of results. Every number on this page is worked out by code from the published figures, with no forecasts and no price opinions (as of 3 November 2026). This is research, not advice. We’re not SEBI-registered.