Company Overview - Artesian Resources (ARTNA) is a water resource management company based in Newark, operating in the Utilities sector with a year-to-date share price change of 5.72% [3]. Dividend Information - Artesian Resources currently pays a dividend of $0.31 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.68%, which is higher than the Utility - Water Supply industry's yield of 2.5% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.59% [3]. - The company's annualized dividend of $1.23 has increased by 4.1% from the previous year, with a total of five dividend increases over the last five years, averaging an annual increase of 4.17% [4]. - The current payout ratio for Artesian Resources is 58%, indicating that it pays out 58% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4]. Earnings Growth - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Artesian Resources' earnings per share for 2025 is projected at $2.16, reflecting a year-over-year growth rate of 9.09% [5]. Investment Appeal - Artesian Resources is viewed as an attractive dividend investment, supported by its strong dividend yield and consistent growth, alongside a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [7].

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Company Overview - Artesian Resources (ARTNA) is a member of the Utilities sector, which includes 106 individual stocks and holds a Zacks Sector Rank of 3 [2] - The Zacks Rank system highlights stocks with characteristics to outperform the market, with Artesian Resources currently holding a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [3] Performance Analysis - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ARTNA's full-year earnings has increased by 8% over the past quarter, indicating stronger analyst sentiment and an improving earnings outlook [4] - Year-to-date, ARTNA has gained approximately 8.3%, outperforming the average gain of 7.2% for the Utilities sector [4] - Artesian Resources belongs to the Utility - Water Supply industry, which includes 12 companies and currently ranks 139 in the Zacks Industry Rank, with an average gain of 15.7% this year, indicating that ARTNA is slightly underperforming its industry [6] Comparative Analysis - Another Utilities stock, ENGIE - Sponsored ADR (ENGIY), has significantly outperformed the sector with a year-to-date gain of 38.3% and a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [5] - The Utility - Electric Power industry, which includes ENGIE, has 60 stocks and is ranked 68, with an average gain of 7.1% since the beginning of the year [7]

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Core Insights - The utilities sector has shown resilience amid market volatility in 2025, emerging as a stable source of dividend income and defensive investment [1][3] - The Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) has returned 8% year-to-date, outperforming the S&P 500, which is up under 2% [2] Company Highlights - Artesian Resources Corp. has seen a year-to-date share price increase of about 10%, with a dividend yield of 3.65% and an annual dividend of $1.23 [4][5] - The company reported an earnings per share (EPS) of 53 cents, exceeding analyst predictions by 18 cents, and quarterly revenue also surpassed expectations [5] - Artesian's revenue growth is attributed to an increase in customer count and a new distribution system improvement charge, with non-utility revenue growing by 8% year-over-year [6] - An anticipated rate increase later this year is expected to support continued revenue growth and maintain the company's attractive dividend yield [7] Additional Company Insights - Clearway Energy Inc. has a dividend yield of 5.85% and an annual dividend of $1.75, with a focus on renewable energy and battery storage operations [8][9] - Clearway reported an EPS beat, coming in at 3 cents per share, with adjusted EBITDA for its renewables and storage segment climbing by about 30% year-over-year [9] - NiSource Inc. has seen its shares rise over 8% year-to-date, with an EPS growth target of 6-8% and plans to invest $19 billion in renewable energy projects [12][13]

The companies under the Zacks Utility - Water Supply industry operate continuously to deliver a steady supply of clean, potable water and dependable sewer services to millions across the United States, services that are vital for maintaining public health and hygiene. Traditionally, water demand tends to dip during the winter months, as colder weather limits outdoor usage. In the spring, demand remains moderate, influenced by milder temperatures and gradually increasing outdoor activities.The aging of pipel ...

Company Overview - Artesian Resources (ARTNA) is a water resource management company headquartered in Newark, with a year-to-date price change of 8.55% [3] - The company currently pays a dividend of $0.31 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.58%, which is significantly higher than the Utility - Water Supply industry's yield of 2.45% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.54% [3] Dividend Performance - Artesian Resources has an annualized dividend of $1.23, reflecting a 4.1% increase from the previous year [4] - Over the past five years, the company has increased its dividend five times, achieving an average annual increase of 4.17% [4] - The current payout ratio stands at 58%, indicating that the company distributes 58% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Outlook - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Artesian Resources' earnings in 2025 is projected at $2.16 per share, with an expected increase of 9.09% compared to the previous year [5] Investment Consideration - Artesian Resources is positioned as an attractive investment opportunity due to its strong dividend yield and a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [7]

Group 1 - Artesian Resources (ARTNA) is one of 106 individual stocks in the Utilities sector, ranking 2 in the Zacks Sector Rank [2] - The Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and revisions, currently gives Artesian Resources a rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ARTNA's full-year earnings has increased by 8% in the past quarter, indicating improved analyst sentiment [4] Group 2 - Artesian Resources has returned 7.2% year-to-date, outperforming the Utilities sector average return of 6.4% [4] - Artesian Resources belongs to the Utility - Water Supply industry, which has gained an average of 15.8% this year, indicating slight underperformance compared to its industry [6] - Deutsche Telekom AG (DTEGY), another stock in the Utilities sector, has a year-to-date return of 29.6% and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5][6]

Financial Performance - Total operating revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2025, increased to $25,886,000, up 5.5% from $24,544,000 in the same period of 2024[15] - Net income applicable to common stock for Q1 2025 was $5,435,000, representing a 23.2% increase compared to $4,411,000 in Q1 2024[15] - Basic net income per common share rose to $0.53 in Q1 2025, up from $0.43 in Q1 2024, reflecting a 23.3% increase[15] - Operating income for Q1 2025 was $5,546,000, a 17.5% increase from $4,719,000 in Q1 2024[15] - Regulated Utility revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2025, were $24,045 thousand, up from $22,840 thousand in 2024, representing an increase of approximately 5.3%[116] - Consolidated revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2025, totaled $25,886 thousand, compared to $24,544 thousand in 2024, reflecting a growth of about 5.4%[116] Cash and Assets - Cash and cash equivalents at the end of Q1 2025 were $3,707,000, compared to $9,503,000 at the end of Q1 2024, indicating a decrease of 61.0%[19] - Total assets as of March 31, 2025, were $808,852,000, an increase of 1.5% from $798,623,000 as of December 31, 2024[13] - Total stockholders' equity increased to $241,650,000 as of March 31, 2025, up from $239,189,000 at the end of 2024, reflecting a growth of 1.0%[12] Expenditures and Dividends - Capital expenditures for Q1 2025 were $10,398,000, compared to $8,922,000 in Q1 2024, representing an increase of 16.5%[17] - Cash dividends per share of common stock increased to $0.3014 in Q1 2025 from $0.2897 in Q1 2024, marking a rise of 4.9%[15] - Cash dividends declared for common stock in the first quarter of 2025 totaled $3,104,000, compared to $2,980,000 in the first quarter of 2024, indicating a growth of about 4.2%[22] Revenue Sources - Tariff revenue increased to $23.386 million in Q1 2025, up from $22.369 million in Q1 2024, driven by a rise in consumption charges and industrial wastewater services[57] - Non-tariff revenue rose to $2.060 million in Q1 2025, compared to $1.828 million in Q1 2024, with significant contributions from service line protection plans and inspection fees[57] - The company recognized $1.4 million in revenue from deferred tariff revenue and $0.4 million from deferred non-tariff revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2025[58] Customer Base and Services - Artesian Water Company continues to expand its services, providing water to various customer segments across Delaware, including residential and commercial[26] - The company served approximately 97,700 customers in Delaware, 2,700 customers in Maryland, and 40 customers in Pennsylvania as of March 31, 2025[82] - The company operates wastewater treatment facilities with a combined capacity of approximately 3.8 million gallons per day, supporting environmental sustainability initiatives[32] Regulatory and Compliance - The company is committed to maintaining compliance with regulatory accounting standards as prescribed by relevant public service commissions[39] - Artesian Water's revenue requirement increase approved by DEPSC is $11.2 million annually, approximately 15.2%, effective June 12, 2024[101] - A temporary rate increase of $10.8 million, or 14.6%, was implemented on November 28, 2023, subject to refund[101] Liabilities and Debt - The carrying amount of the company's long-term debt is $178,213,000, with an estimated fair value of $159,926,000[72] - Regulatory liabilities amounted to $29.975 million as of March 31, 2025, a decrease from $30.267 million on December 31, 2024[97] - The deferred income tax regulatory liability related to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is $27,167,000, reflecting a decrease from $27,492,000[97] Other Financial Metrics - Cash flows from operating activities for Q1 2025 were $10,958,000, down from $12,594,000 in Q1 2024, a decrease of 12.9%[17] - Accounts receivable totaled $10.433 million as of March 31, 2025, down from $11.682 million at the end of 2024, with a provision for expected credit loss of $351,000[63] - The investment in CoBank increased to $6,889,000 as of March 31, 2025, from $6,425,000 as of December 31, 2024[85]

Core Points - Artesian Resources Corporation has approved a 2% increase in the quarterly dividend per share, raising the annualized dividend to $1.2296 per share [1][2] - The quarterly dividend rate is now $0.3074 per share, payable on May 27, 2025, to shareholders of record as of May 16, 2025 [1] - This marks the 130th consecutive dividend paid to shareholders, reflecting the company's commitment to returning value to investors [2] Company Overview - Artesian Resources Corporation operates as a holding company for wholly-owned subsidiaries that provide water and wastewater services on the Delmarva Peninsula [3] - The principal subsidiary, Artesian Water Company, is the oldest and largest regulated water utility in the region, supplying 9.5 billion gallons of water annually through 1,491 miles of water main to over a third of Delaware's population [3]