Company Overview - Middlesex Water (MSEX) is a utility stock headquartered in Iselin, with a price change of 17.77% year-to-date [3] - The company currently pays a dividend of $0.34 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 2.19%, which is slightly below the Utility - Water Supply industry's yield of 2.36% and above the S&P 500's yield of 1.66% [3] Dividend Performance - The annualized dividend of Middlesex Water is $1.36, reflecting a 3.4% increase from the previous year [4] - Over the last five years, the company has increased its dividend five times, achieving an average annual increase of 6.15% [4] - The current payout ratio stands at 55%, indicating that the company pays out 55% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Outlook - For the fiscal year 2025, the Zacks Consensus Estimate predicts earnings of $2.53 per share, representing a 2.43% increase from the previous year [5] Investment Appeal - Middlesex Water is considered an attractive dividend play and a compelling investment opportunity, currently holding a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [7]

Consolidated Water (CWCO) closed the most recent trading day at $23.89, moving -0.87% from the previous trading session. This change lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 2.03%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 1.23%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw an increase of 2.74%.The developer and operator of desalination plants's shares have seen a decrease of 0.74% over the last month, not keeping up with the Utilities sector's gain of 1.72% and outstripping the S&P 500's loss of 5.07%.The investment c ...

Core Insights - Middlesex Water (MSEX) has a strong history of beating earnings estimates and is well-positioned for continued success in upcoming reports [1][2] Earnings Performance - The company has surpassed earnings estimates by an average of 27.76% over the last two quarters [2] - In the most recent quarter, Middlesex Water reported earnings of $0.49 per share, exceeding the expected $0.36 per share by 36.11% [2] - For the previous quarter, the actual earnings were $0.80 per share against an estimate of $0.67 per share, resulting in a surprise of 19.40% [2] Earnings Estimates and Predictions - Recent estimates for Middlesex Water have been increasing, indicating positive sentiment among analysts [5] - The Zacks Earnings ESP for the company is currently positive at +9.09%, suggesting bullish near-term earnings potential [8] - Stocks with a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) or better have a nearly 70% chance of producing a positive surprise [6] Zacks Rank and Earnings ESP - Middlesex Water holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which, combined with its positive Earnings ESP, indicates a high likelihood of another earnings beat [8] - The Earnings ESP metric is based on the Most Accurate Estimate compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, reflecting the latest analyst revisions [7]