First National Corp MA ADV Buys 12,976 Shares of Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG)

First National Corp MA ADV increased its position in Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG - Free Report) by 81.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 28,891 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,976 shares during the period. First National Corp MA ADV's holdings in Essential Utilities were worth $1,049,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Friedenthal Financial bought a new position in Essential Utilities during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in Essential Utilities in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Essential Utilities in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Essential Utilities by 61.4% in the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 773 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Essential Utilities in the 3rd quarter worth about $42,000. 74.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WTRG has been the subject of several recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised Essential Utilities from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $41.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Essential Utilities from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $43.00 to $39.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $43.00.

Essential Utilities Price Performance

NYSE:WTRG traded up $0.12 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $35.84. The stock had a trading volume of 1,106,196 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,423,983. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.55. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $35.99 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $38.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.92, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.86. Essential Utilities, Inc. has a one year low of $33.18 and a one year high of $41.78.

Essential Utilities Announces Dividend

The firm 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 dividend of $0.3255 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.63%. Essential Utilities's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 65.00%.

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.