BLB&B Advisors LLC Has $2.16 Million Stock Holdings in Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG)

BLB&B Advisors LLC lowered its position in Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG - Free Report) by 10.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 59,589 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,148 shares during the period. BLB&B Advisors LLC's holdings in Essential Utilities were worth $2,164,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in WTRG. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities by 4,309.4% during the 3rd quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 1,255,483 shares of the company's stock valued at $48,424,000 after acquiring an additional 1,227,010 shares in the last quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp grew its stake in Essential Utilities by 117.3% in the third quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 1,962,692 shares of the company's stock worth $75,701,000 after purchasing an additional 1,059,320 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities by 16.7% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 6,811,851 shares of the company's stock valued at $247,134,000 after acquiring an additional 972,803 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Essential Utilities during the third quarter worth $30,842,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in Essential Utilities by 33.1% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 953,984 shares of the company's stock worth $36,795,000 after acquiring an additional 237,096 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.78% of the company's stock.

Essential Utilities Stock Performance

WTRG traded up $0.34 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $35.75. 1,674,442 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,435,334. Essential Utilities, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $33.18 and a fifty-two week high of $41.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $36.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $38.16. The company has a market capitalization of $9.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.88, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.86.

Essential Utilities Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a $0.3255 dividend. This represents a $1.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. Essential Utilities's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 65.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on WTRG shares. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Essential Utilities from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $43.00 to $39.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Essential Utilities from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $41.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $43.00.

Essential Utilities Company 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.