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 ...

All investors love getting big returns from their portfolio, whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities. However, when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and of course, dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that meas ...

Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and of course, dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a met ...

For those looking to find strong Utilities stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Fortis (FTS) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Utilities peers, we might be able to answer that question.Fortis is a member of the Utilities sector. This group includes 106 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #2. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups a ...

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]

Group 1 - Global Water Resources, Inc. reported quarterly earnings of $0.02 per share, matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but down from $0.03 per share a year ago [1] - The company posted revenues of $12.46 million for the quarter ended March 2025, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.81% and up from $11.61 million year-over-year [2] - The stock has underperformed, losing about 11% since the beginning of the year compared to the S&P 500's gain of 0.1% [3] Group 2 - The earnings outlook for Global Water Resources is uncertain, with current consensus EPS estimates at $0.06 for the coming quarter and $0.22 for the current fiscal year [7] - The Zacks Rank for the stock is currently 4 (Sell), indicating expectations of underperformance in the near future [6] - The Utility - Water Supply industry is ranked in the top 26% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook compared to lower-ranked industries [8]

Core Insights - SJW (HTO) is currently rated 2 (Buy) by Zacks, while American States Water (AWR) is rated 4 (Sell), indicating a stronger earnings outlook for HTO compared to AWR [3] - HTO has a Value grade of B, while AWR has a Value grade of D, suggesting that HTO is perceived as a better investment option for value investors [6] Valuation Metrics - HTO has a forward P/E ratio of 17.48, significantly lower than AWR's forward P/E of 23.83, indicating that HTO may be undervalued relative to AWR [5] - The PEG ratio for HTO is 4.04, while AWR's PEG ratio is 4.22, suggesting that HTO offers a more favorable valuation when considering expected earnings growth [5] - HTO's P/B ratio stands at 1.27, compared to AWR's P/B ratio of 3.15, further supporting the notion that HTO is a more attractive investment based on valuation metrics [6]

Company Overview - SJW (HTO) is headquartered in San Jose and operates in the Utilities sector, specifically in water supply [3] - The stock has experienced a price change of 5.55% since the beginning of the year [3] Dividend Information - SJW is currently paying a dividend of $0.42 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.23%, which is higher than the Utility - Water Supply industry's yield of 2.47% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.53% [3] - The annualized dividend of $1.68 has increased by 5% from the previous year, with an average annual increase of 5.70% over the last five years [4] - The current payout ratio for SJW is 55%, indicating that it pays out 55% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Growth - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SJW's earnings in 2025 is $2.97 per share, reflecting a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 0.68% [5] Investment Appeal - SJW is considered an attractive dividend play and a compelling investment opportunity, currently holding a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [7]

Essential Utilities (WTRG) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.03 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.80 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.73 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 28.75%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this water utility would post earnings of $0.66 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.67, delivering a surprise of 1.52%.Over the last four quarters, the ...

Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Middlesex Water (MSEX) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Utilities peers, we might be able to answer that question.Middlesex Water is one of 106 individual stocks in the Utilities sector. Collectively, these comp ...