145,037 Shares in Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) Bought by BNP Paribas Financial Markets

BNP Paribas Financial Markets purchased a new stake in Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund purchased 145,037 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,268,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Essential Utilities during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities by 75.0% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 473 shares in the last quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Essential Utilities in the 4th quarter valued at $45,000. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Essential Utilities by 98.9% in the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,565 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 778 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Essential Utilities during the 4th quarter worth $60,000. Institutional investors own 74.78% of the company’s stock.

Essential Utilities Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WTRG opened at $37.39 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.85. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $39.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $38.01. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. Essential Utilities, Inc. has a 1-year low of $33.18 and a 1-year high of $41.78.

Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) last posted its earnings results on Monday, May 12th. The company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.80 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $783.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $713.80 million. Essential Utilities had a net margin of 27.84% and a return on equity of 7.89%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.97 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Essential Utilities, Inc. will post 1.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Essential Utilities Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 13th will be issued a $0.3255 dividend. This represents a $1.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.48%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 13th. Essential Utilities’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.91%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on WTRG shares. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. StockNews.com raised shares of Essential Utilities from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, April 20th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Essential Utilities from $47.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Essential Utilities from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Essential Utilities from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $41.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.50.

Essential Utilities Profile

Essential Utilities, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates regulated utilities that provide water, wastewater, or natural gas services in the United States. The company operates through Regulated Water and Regulated Natural Gas segments. It offers water services through operating and maintenance contract with municipal authorities and other parties.