Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) Shares Pass Above 200-Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Middlesex Water Company (NASDAQ:MSEX) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $52.26 and traded as high as $53.11. Middlesex Water shares last traded at $51.93, with a volume of 136,043 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Middlesex Water from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings cut Middlesex Water from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $55.00 price target on Middlesex Water in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Middlesex Water currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $56.67.

Middlesex Water Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $993.75 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.83 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $52.30 and a 200 day simple moving average of $52.26.

Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The utilities provider reported $0.57 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57. Middlesex Water had a return on equity of 9.08% and a net margin of 22.07%.The firm had revenue of $48.71 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $49.75 million.

Middlesex Water Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Middlesex Water’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 60.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Middlesex Water

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Middlesex Water by 68.6% during the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 521 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Middlesex Water during the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Middlesex Water by 137.8% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 635 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 368 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV acquired a new stake in shares of Middlesex Water during the 1st quarter valued at about $45,000. Finally, Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Middlesex Water during the 1st quarter valued at about $114,000. 79.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Middlesex Water Company Profile

Middlesex Water Company is a regulated utility specializing in the provision of potable water and wastewater collection services to residential, commercial and industrial customers. The company operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries, supplying treated water and effectively managing sewage collection systems under state and local regulatory frameworks. Its core mission centers on delivering safe, reliable water while complying with stringent environmental and public health standards.

Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey, Middlesex Water has grown from a local water works enterprise into a multi‐state utilities group.