Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) Shares Acquired by Schroder Investment Management Group

Schroder Investment Management Group raised its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG - Free Report) by 121.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 109,618 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 60,107 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group's holdings in Essential Utilities were worth $3,970,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Allstate Corp purchased a new position in Essential Utilities during the 4th quarter valued at about $300,000. DnB Asset Management AS grew its position in shares of Essential Utilities by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. DnB Asset Management AS now owns 65,386 shares of the company's stock worth $2,375,000 after buying an additional 3,245 shares during the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA grew its position in shares of Essential Utilities by 31.2% in the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 6,726,215 shares of the company's stock worth $244,296,000 after buying an additional 1,597,672 shares during the last quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Essential Utilities in the 4th quarter worth approximately $45,000. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Essential Utilities in the 4th quarter worth approximately $102,600,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.78% of the company's stock.

Essential Utilities Stock Performance

NYSE WTRG traded up $0.46 on Thursday, hitting $38.22. 382,778 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,483,666. 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 firm's 50-day moving average price is $37.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.82. Essential Utilities, Inc. has a 1-year low of $33.18 and a 1-year high of $41.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.53 billion, a PE ratio of 19.11, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.80.

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Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.01. Essential Utilities had a net margin of 27.84% and a return on equity of 7.89%. The company had revenue of $604.38 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $698.77 million. As a group, analysts expect that Essential Utilities, Inc. will post 1.99 EPS for the current year.

Essential Utilities Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.3255 per share. This represents a $1.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.41%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 13th. Essential Utilities's payout ratio is 59.91%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WTRG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. StockNews.com raised shares of Essential Utilities from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 4th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Essential Utilities from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded 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, Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $43.50.

About Essential Utilities

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.