Zacks Research Begins Coverage on Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX)

Stock analysts at Zacks Research started coverage on shares of Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) in a report released on Wednesday, Zacks reports. The brokerage set a “hold” rating on the utilities provider’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $66.00 price objective on Middlesex Water in a report on Friday, July 31st. Huntington started coverage on Middlesex Water in a report on Sunday, November 1st. They issued a “strong-buy” rating for the company. New Street Research set a $64.00 target price on Middlesex Water in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Freedom Broker raised their price target on Middlesex Water from $56.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Middlesex Water from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, October 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Middlesex Water currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $60.75.

Middlesex Water Price Performance

MSEX stock opened at $59.50 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $55.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $54.28. The stock has a market cap of $1.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.48 and a beta of 0.71. Middlesex Water has a fifty-two week low of $48.19 and a fifty-two week high of $60.72. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The utilities provider reported $0.95 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.82 by $0.13. Middlesex Water had a net margin of 24.50% and a return on equity of 10.08%. The firm had revenue of $60.21 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $59.90 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that Middlesex Water will post 2.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Middlesex Water by 13.8% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 147,013 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $7,652,000 after buying an additional 17,800 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Middlesex Water during the second quarter worth about $24,570,000. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Middlesex Water during the second quarter worth about $176,031,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Middlesex Water in the 2nd quarter valued at about $10,054,000. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new stake in Middlesex Water during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,222,000. 79.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Middlesex Water

Here are the key news stories impacting Middlesex Water this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Huntington initiated coverage with a “Strong-Buy” rating and forecasts earnings of $2.82 per share in 2026 and $2.80 in 2027, rising to $2.92 in 2028. Its estimates provide a positive outlook, though they are forecasts rather than new company guidance. Huntington rating information
• Neutral Sentiment: The latest reported quarter was stronger than expected: Middlesex Water earned $0.95 per share versus the $0.82 consensus and reported revenue of $60.21 million, slightly above estimates. The article also cites an increased dividend, supporting income appeal, but provides no amount. Valuation, earnings and dividend article
• Negative Sentiment: The newest article argues MSEX could be about 45% above fair value even after its earnings and dividend improvements. That valuation concern may limit upside or weigh on the shares, particularly with the stock near its 52-week high.

Middlesex Water Company Profile

Middlesex Water Company (NASDAQ:MSEX) is a regulated water and wastewater utility that owns and operates systems serving residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers. Its services include the production, treatment, distribution and sale of potable water, as well as wastewater collection and treatment.

Founded in 1897, the company primarily serves communities in New Jersey and Delaware through its regulated utility operations. Its New Jersey service area includes portions of Middlesex, Union, Somerset and Mercer counties, while its Delaware operations serve customers through the Tidewater Utilities subsidiary.

Middlesex Water also provides contract operations, maintenance and related services for municipal and other public water and wastewater systems.