Essential Utilities is a Pennsylvania-based holding company for US water, wastewater, and natural gas distribution utilities. The company's water business serves 3 million people in eight states.
It is a $11.1B utility company. Revenue grew 9.9% over the last year, it keeps 22¢ of every dollar of sales as profit, and it carries $8.08B of net debt. It trades at 19.8× earnings — around the middle of its own history.
- Website
- essential.co
- Location
- Bryn Mawr, PA
- Employees
- 3 303
- Sector
- Utilities
- Founded
- 1989
Skills
Six independent scores, 0–100, built from reported numbers and valuation history. Click a row to see how it was scored.
Health and Moat lag behind.
Valuation52
- P/E vs own history47th pct · 12/25
- FCF yield-4.1% · 0/25
- P/S4.3x · 20/25
- EV/EBITDA14.6x · 20/25
Growth56
- Revenue CAGR7.1% · 12/25
- Net income CAGR9.3% · 12/25
- EPS CAGR ~5Y14.4% · 20/25
- Fwd implied growth14.8% · 12/25
Profitability67
- ROIC5.9% · 5/25
- ROE8.1% · 12/25
- Net margin21.6% · 25/25
- Operating margin35.1% · 25/25
Health24
- Altman Z0.83 · 3/25
- Current ratio0.78 · 6/25
- Interest coverage3.1x · 10/25
- Net cash / debtD/A 41% · 5/25
Quality60
- Piotroski F6/9 · 15/25
- Beneish M-2.39 · 20/25
- FCF conversionn/a · 0/25
- Margin stabilityσ 3.8% · 25/25
Moat38
- ROIC >12% years0/10 yrs · 0/25
- Median gross margin36.8% · 13/25
- FCF-positive years1/8 yrs · 0/25
- Worst-year net marginworst 19.5% · 25/25
Experience
The company's career so far — founding, the IPO, landmark products and acquisitions, plus revenue milestones and insider buying.
- FY2025FinancialBest year on record$616M net income
- 2025AcquisitionAmerican Water Works agreed to acquire the company in an all-stock merger, creating a combined…
- FY2020FinancialRevenue crossed $1B$1.46B for the year
- FY2016FinancialProfitable every year on record10 consecutive profitable years in our data
- 1998AcquisitionAqua America, then known as the Philadelphia Suburban Water Company (PSW) purchased the West…
- 1989FoundedThe company was incorporated in 1989
Achievements
Verifiable track record, straight from the reported numbers.
Strengths & watch-outs
What a bull and a bear would each point to. Both lists come from the reported numbers, not opinions.
Strengths
- High gross margin (49.3%)
- Strongly profitable — 21.6% net margin
Watch-outs
- Negative free cash flow (-$451.9M)
- Altman Z-Score 0.83 — elevated financial-distress risk
Qualifications
The basics a company should meet before you research it further. Each check uses the reported numbers.
- Revenue growing — the company sells more than a year ago+9.9% YoY
- Profitable — makes more than it spends$555M TTM
- Profit growing — earnings are higher than last year+7.5% YoY
- Generates cash — cash left after running and investing-$452M TTM
- Debt under control — could handle its obligationscurrent ratio 0.78
- Established company — not a micro-cap — lower blow-up risk$11.1B market cap
- Not printing shares — share count not ballooning — you keep your slice+10.2% shares over ~5y
- Proven track record — years of profitability behind it10/10 profitable years
- Financially stable — balance sheet not near distressAltman Z 0.8 — distress
- Pays a dividend — returns cash to shareholdersyield 3.52%
- Valuation not extreme — price not wildly above earningsP/E 19.8
Peer comparisonEssential Utilities, Inc. vs 6 largest utilities peers — cap, P/E, growth and margin side by sideOpen ▾Close ▴
| Company | Market cap | P/E | Revenue growth | Net margin | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WTRG this company | $11.1B | 19.8 | +9.9% | 21.6% | Strained |
| NEE NextEra Energy, Inc. | $161.3B | 17.4 | +10.8% | 32.4% | Strained |
| CEG Constellation Energy Corporation | $105.8B | 30.5 | +26.0% | 11.1% | Strained |
| SO The Southern Company | $99.1B | 21.3 | +6.4% | 15.4% | Strained |
| DUK Duke Energy Corporation | $90.9B | 17.3 | +6.3% | 15.8% | Strained |
| WMB Williams Companies Inc. | $89.2B | 29.0 | +8.7% | 25.2% | Strained |
| KMI Kinder Morgan, Inc. | $72.4B | 20.9 | +12.5% | 19.3% | Strained |
Head-to-head: WTRG vs NEE · WTRG vs CEG · WTRG vs SO
References
What covering analysts publish about the company — information only, not a recommendation.
Appendix · Financial records
The full statements behind this CV, FY2016–FY2025. For readers who want to check the numbers.
Live data and quarterly detail: stockcv.com/WTRG
Want the live picture — intraday moves, valuation history and full analysis?
Deeper analysis of WTRG on PreMarketPriceFigures are derived from company filings (quarterly values normalised from as-filed year-to-date data where applicable) and may be delayed, restated or incomplete. This page is information, not investment advice. Latest price $38.98 · market cap $11.1B.