To ensure this doesn’t happen in the future, please enable Javascript and cookies in your browser.If you have an ad-blocker enabled you may be blocked from proceeding. Please disable your ad-blocker and refresh. ...

Oct 22, 2025 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time Essential Utilities to Report Earnings for Q3 2025 Chris Franklin, Chief Executive Officer, and Dan Schuller, Chief Financial Officer, will host the conference call. There will be a question & answer session as part of the call. About Essential Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE: WTRG) delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities. With a focus on water, wastewater and natural gas, Essential is c ...

Essential Utilities (WTRG) could be a solid choice for investors given its recent upgrade to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). This rating change essentially reflects an upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.A company's changing earnings picture is at the core of the Zacks rating. The system tracks the Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus measure of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years.Individual ...

Core Insights - Companies with a strong history of dividend payments and increases are attractive to income-focused investors, with Essential Utilities, Verizon, and WesBanco recently announcing dividend hikes and offering yields up to around 6% [1]. Essential Utilities - Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) provides water, wastewater, and natural gas services in the U.S. [2] - The company has raised its dividends for 34 consecutive years, with a recent increase of 5.25% to $0.3426 per share, translating to an annual figure of $1.37 per share [3]. - The current dividend yield is 3.34%, and the annual revenue as of June 30 is $2.34 billion. For Q2 2025, the company reported revenues of $514.91 million and EPS of $0.38, both exceeding consensus estimates [3]. Verizon Communications - Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is a major player in technology and telecommunications, known for its extensive wireless network and services [4]. - The company has increased its dividends for 19 consecutive years, with a recent hike of 1.25% to $0.69 per share, equating to an annual figure of $2.76 per share [5]. - The current dividend yield is 6.68%, and the annual revenue as of June 30 is $137 billion. For Q2 2025, Verizon reported revenues of $34.50 billion and EPS of $1.22, both surpassing consensus estimates [5]. WesBanco - WesBanco Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBC) offers a range of banking and financial services in the U.S. [6]. - The company has raised its dividends for 14 consecutive years, with a recent increase from $0.36 to $0.37 per share, resulting in an annual figure of $1.48 per share [7]. - The current dividend yield stands at 4.40%, and the company maintained its payout level in a recent announcement [7].

All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. But for income investors, generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments is your primary focus.While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend ...

Core Viewpoint - Essential Utilities (WTRG) is positioned for growth through strategic investments and acquisitions, enhancing its water, wastewater, and natural gas infrastructure [1][2] Investment Plans - The company plans to invest $7.8 billion from 2025 to 2029 to improve its water and natural gas systems, with an expected investment of $1.4-$1.5 billion in 2025 [2][9] - These investments aim to utilize enhanced information technology to better serve customers [2] Customer Growth and Acquisitions - Since 2015, WTRG has expanded its utility operations through numerous acquisitions, adding over 135,000 customers [3] - The company anticipates a 2-3% growth in its water segment customer base through both acquisitions and organic growth [3][9] - Pending acquisitions are expected to add more than 200,000 customers, with additional opportunities totaling 400,000 customers [4][9] Industry Consolidation - The U.S. water utility sector is fragmented, necessitating consolidation for infrastructure improvements [7] - Other companies, such as American Water Works (AWK) and California Water Service Group (CWT), are also pursuing acquisitions to expand their customer bases and enhance service delivery [7][8] Competitive Landscape - AWK has completed six acquisitions as of June 30, 2025, adding 7,600 customers, with 20 pending acquisitions expected to add another 40,650 customers [7] - CWT focuses on expanding operations in high-growth regions through strategic acquisitions [10] - Middlesex Water Company (MSEX) is actively consolidating the sector by acquiring smaller, independent water systems [10]

Company Overview - Essential Utilities (WTRG) is headquartered in Bryn Mawr and operates in the Utilities sector, specifically in water supply [3] - The stock has experienced a price change of 2.7% since the beginning of the year [3] Dividend Information - Essential Utilities currently pays a dividend of $0.34 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.67%, which is higher than the Utility - Water Supply industry's yield of 2.68% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.5% [3] - The company's annualized dividend of $1.37 has increased by 8.3% from the previous year [4] - Over the past 5 years, Essential Utilities has raised its dividend 5 times, achieving an average annual increase of 6.53% [4] - The current payout ratio is 56%, indicating that the company pays out 56% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Expectations - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 projects earnings of $2.11 per share, reflecting an expected increase of 7.11% from the previous year [5] Investment Appeal - Essential Utilities is considered an attractive dividend play and a compelling investment opportunity, holding a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [6]

Group 1: Essential Utilities - Essential Utilities has a dividend yield of 3.50% and an annual dividend of $1.37, with a dividend increase track record of 32 years and a payout ratio of 58.80% [3][5] - The company reported a 35% year-over-year increase in GAAP EPS, driven by its gas and water businesses and operational efficiency, particularly in Texas [4] - Essential Utilities announced a 5.25% increase in its dividend, continuing its tradition of over three decades of dividend increases, indicating strong earnings growth potential [5] Group 2: Globe Life - Globe Life has a dividend yield of 0.77% and an annual dividend of $1.08, with a dividend increase track record of 20 years and a low payout ratio of 8.63% [7][10] - The company reported a net operating income of $271 million for the latest quarter, marking a 10% year-over-year improvement, and raised its full-year earnings guidance [8] - Globe Life has engaged in significant share buybacks, spending approximately $226 million in the second quarter and planning up to $650 million in repurchases through 2025 [9] Group 3: NetEase - NetEase has a dividend yield of 1.66% and an annual dividend of $2.27, with a payout ratio of 30.72% [11] - Despite facing potential downside of -9.5%, most analysts still view NetEase shares as a Buy, highlighting its successful games segment driven by popular titles [12]

Core Viewpoint - Essential Utilities (WTRG) is positioned as a strong investment option in the utility sector due to its growth opportunities from acquired assets, organic growth initiatives, and capital expenditures [1] Growth Projections & Surprise History - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings per share (EPS) has increased by 0.5% to $2.11 over the past 30 days [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 sales is projected at $2.35 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 12.7% [2] - The long-term earnings growth rate for Essential Utilities is estimated at 5.18% over the next three to five years [2] - The company has achieved a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 17.5% [2][8] Debt Position - Essential Utilities has a total debt to capital ratio of 53.63%, which is better than the sector average of 59.89% [3] - The time-to-interest earned ratio was 2.9 at the end of Q2 2025, indicating the company's capability to meet future interest obligations [3] Return on Equity - The current return on equity (ROE) for Essential Utilities is 10.1%, surpassing the sector average of 9.78%, demonstrating effective utilization of funds [4] Dividend History - Essential Utilities has a strong dividend history, having paid dividends for 80 years and increased them 35 times in the past 34 years [5] - The current quarterly dividend is 34.26 cents per share, leading to an annualized dividend of $1.37 and a dividend yield of 3.5%, which is significantly higher than the Zacks S&P 500 composite average of 1.16% [5] Customer Base Expansion - The company has been actively expanding its utility operations through municipal asset acquisitions, adding over 135,000 customers since 2015 [6] - Pending acquisitions are expected to add more than 200,000 customers, which will enhance demand and positively impact revenue [6] Share Price Performance - In the past month, WTRG's stock has returned 3.2%, outperforming the industry's growth of 2.2% [9]

Group 1 - The article discusses the trade-offs between concentration and scale in the water utility sector, specifically comparing Artesian Resources (ARTNA) and Essential Utilities (WTRG) [1] - Artesian Resources is characterized as a leaner, water pure-play company, while Essential Utilities has a broader operational scale [1] Group 2 - Joseph Jones, a professor with over fifteen years of market study experience, focuses on portfolio construction from a dividend growth investor's perspective [1]