Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) Share Price Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Shares of Middlesex Water Company (NASDAQ:MSEX) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $52.38 and traded as high as $54.73. Middlesex Water shares last traded at $52.46, with a volume of 225,184 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MSEX has been the topic of several research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Middlesex Water from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Middlesex Water from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $55.00 target price on shares of Middlesex Water in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $56.67.

Middlesex Water Stock Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average is $52.43 and its 200-day moving average is $52.38. The stock has a market cap of $976.81 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.86 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.32.

Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The utilities provider reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57. Middlesex Water had a net margin of 22.07% and a return on equity of 9.08%. The firm had revenue of $48.71 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $49.75 million.

Middlesex Water Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th were given a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Middlesex Water’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.00%.

Institutional Trading of Middlesex Water

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MSEX. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in Middlesex Water by 68.6% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA purchased a new position in Middlesex Water during the first quarter worth approximately $207,000. Western Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Middlesex Water during the first quarter worth approximately $33,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in Middlesex Water by 11.3% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 69,321 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,608,000 after purchasing an additional 7,031 shares during the period. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its stake in Middlesex Water by 28.8% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 37,365 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,945,000 after purchasing an additional 8,347 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.52% of the company’s stock.

About Middlesex Water

Middlesex Water Company is a regulated utility specializing in the provision of potable water and wastewater collection services to residential, commercial and industrial customers. The company operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries, supplying treated water and effectively managing sewage collection systems under state and local regulatory frameworks. Its core mission centers on delivering safe, reliable water while complying with stringent environmental and public health standards.

Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey, Middlesex Water has grown from a local water works enterprise into a multi‐state utilities group.