Boston Trust Walden Corp cut its position in Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE:WTRG – Free Report) by 0.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,463,461 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,987 shares during the quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp owned approximately 0.87% of Essential Utilities worth $94,375,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Pekao Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych S.A. purchased a new position in shares of Essential Utilities in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,547,000. Versor Investments LP purchased a new stake in Essential Utilities during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,430,000. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in Essential Utilities in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $638,000. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its stake in Essential Utilities by 19.5% in the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 4,539,977 shares of the company’s stock valued at $174,163,000 after acquiring an additional 741,587 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gateway Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Essential Utilities in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,566,000. 74.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Essential Utilities Trading Up 1.5%
Shares of Essential Utilities stock opened at $40.44 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. Essential Utilities Inc. has a 12-month low of $36.10 and a 12-month high of $42.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.63 and a beta of 0.64. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $38.71 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $38.90.
Essential Utilities Increases Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be paid a $0.3606 dividend. This is a positive change from Essential Utilities’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.34. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. Essential Utilities’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.47%.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Essential Utilities news, insider Colleen Arnold sold 2,855 shares of Essential Utilities stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.55, for a total transaction of $112,915.25. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 17,347 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $686,073.85. The trade was a 14.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
WTRG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays upped their price target on Essential Utilities from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Essential Utilities in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Essential Utilities to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 4th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Essential Utilities from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Essential Utilities currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $43.00.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Essential Utilities
Essential Utilities Company Profile
Essential Utilities, Inc, formerly known as Aqua America, is a publicly traded water and natural gas utility holding company. Through its regulated water and wastewater subsidiaries, the company provides essential water services to residential, commercial and industrial customers. In addition, Essential Utilities delivers natural gas distribution services in Pennsylvania through its Peoples Gas subsidiary, offering integrated utility solutions under a unified corporate framework.
The company traces its roots to the Philadelphia Suburban Water Company, founded in 1886 to serve growing communities outside Philadelphia.
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