Signaturefd LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG)

Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) by 38.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,640 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,673 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC’s holdings in Essential Utilities were worth $360,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. CWM LLC grew its position in Essential Utilities by 31.9% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,856 shares of the company’s stock valued at $132,000 after buying an additional 933 shares during the period. AE Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Essential Utilities by 3.6% during the third quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 32,528 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,117,000 after buying an additional 1,139 shares during the period. Boston Trust Walden Corp acquired a new stake in Essential Utilities during the third quarter valued at $5,578,000. Caprock Group LLC grew its position in Essential Utilities by 33.6% during the third quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 7,386 shares of the company’s stock valued at $254,000 after buying an additional 1,859 shares during the period. Finally, Spirit of America Management Corp NY grew its position in Essential Utilities by 24.9% during the third quarter. Spirit of America Management Corp NY now owns 12,800 shares of the company’s stock valued at $439,000 after buying an additional 2,550 shares during the period. 74.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Essential Utilities Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE WTRG opened at $36.57 on Friday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $35.74 and its 200-day simple moving average is $35.73. Essential Utilities, Inc. has a 52-week low of $32.07 and a 52-week high of $43.84. The firm has a market cap of $10.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16.

Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 23rd. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.01. Essential Utilities had a net margin of 24.26% and a return on equity of 8.68%. The business had revenue of $479.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $708.50 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.44 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 32.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Essential Utilities, Inc. will post 2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Essential Utilities Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be given a $0.3071 dividend. This is a positive change from Essential Utilities’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 9th. This represents a $1.23 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.36%. Essential Utilities’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Evercore ISI dropped their price target on shares of Essential Utilities from $51.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $43.00.

Insider Transactions at Essential Utilities

In other news, CAO Robert A. Rubin sold 5,565 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.21, for a total value of $207,073.65. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 57,756 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,149,100.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

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.