13,451 Shares in Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) Bought by Northcape Wealth Management LLC

Northcape Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 13,451 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $489,000.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Glenmede Trust Co. NA increased its position in shares of Essential Utilities by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 51,881 shares of the company's stock worth $2,001,000 after purchasing an additional 803 shares during the last quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Essential Utilities by 92.8% during the fourth quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC now owns 148,009 shares of the company's stock worth $5,529,000 after buying an additional 71,222 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in shares of Essential Utilities by 16.7% during the fourth 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. Empower Advisory Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Essential Utilities by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Empower Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,585,475 shares of the company's stock valued at $61,152,000 after acquiring an additional 84,596 shares during the period. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new position in shares of Essential Utilities in the 4th quarter worth approximately $638,000. 74.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Essential Utilities Stock Up 1.7 %

NYSE:WTRG traded up $0.62 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $36.58. The company had a trading volume of 1,842,627 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,427,551. Essential Utilities, Inc. has a 12-month low of $33.18 and a 12-month high of $41.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.29, a PEG ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $35.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $37.94.

Essential Utilities Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 13th will be issued a $0.3255 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 13th. This represents a $1.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.56%. Essential Utilities's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 65.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.