Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) Stock Holdings Lessened by Bleakley Financial Group LLC

Bleakley Financial Group LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) by 4.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,006 shares of the company’s stock after selling 465 shares during the period. Bleakley Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Essential Utilities were worth $363,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WTRG. Friedenthal Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Essential Utilities in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in Essential Utilities in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Essential Utilities in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities by 61.4% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 773 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 294 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Essential Utilities during the third quarter worth approximately $42,000. Institutional investors own 74.78% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on WTRG. UBS Group lowered their target price on Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Essential Utilities from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $41.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Essential Utilities from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $43.00 to $39.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.00.

Essential Utilities Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of WTRG stock opened at $35.38 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $36.15 and a 200 day simple moving average of $38.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.87. Essential Utilities, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $33.18 and a fifty-two week high of $41.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17.

Essential Utilities Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a $0.3255 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.68%. Essential Utilities’s dividend payout ratio is currently 65.00%.

Essential Utilities Company Profile

Essential Utilities, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates regulated utilities that provide water, wastewater, or natural gas services in the United States. The company operates through Regulated Water and Regulated Natural Gas segments. It offers water services through operating and maintenance contract with municipal authorities and other parties.