WTRG · NASDAQ · STOCK
Essential Utilities
$39.09
52W $36.11 – $42.37
52/100
$11.36B
20.4
0.63
Is WTRG Bullish or Bearish?
Mixed.
Innellis AI committee rates Essential Utilities (WTRG) Watch with a composite score of 52/100
, based on 6 analysts with 33% agreement.
Last updated August 09, 2026.
What Would Change This View
- Upgrade to Buy
- Requires a committee score of 60.0 — +7.61 from today. Applies on the first day at or above the line; upgrades are never dampened.
- Downgrade to Reduce
- Requires the score to fall below 40.0 — -12.39 from today. The band boundary is 45.0, but a one-step downgrade must clear a further margin first. A score oscillating around the line should not change the rating every night.
Executive Summary
The committee is genuinely divided. Macro Analyst sees a compelling case — market regime is bullish (bull market -- normal position sizing). Growth Analyst remains cautious — eps declining -16.2% yoy despite any revenue growth. This disagreement is itself the signal — the setup is not clean in either direction.
Bull & Bear Case
Bull Case
- Dividend yield of 3.6% pays you to wait — Value
- Price structure making higher highs and higher lows — Technical
- Market regime is bullish (Bull market -- normal position sizing) — Macro
Bear Case
- EPS declining -16.2% YoY despite any revenue growth — Growth
- Growth rate is decelerating quarter over quarter -- the trend line matters more than the level — Growth
- MACD histogram negative -- bearish momentum — Technical
- Current ratio of 0.80 is tight -- limited short-term liquidity cushion — Risk
Both cases are generated from quantitative data signals, not qualitative or
forward-looking judgement. They summarise what the numbers say today.
Price History (6M)
AI Investment Committee
Committee Consensus
As of August 09, 2026
Overall Committee Score
52/100
Agreement
33%
Analysts
6
Conviction
Contested
Sector Rank
Top 42%
of 45 Utilities peers
Value Analyst
neutral
58
/ 100 · Moderate confidence
Fair value -- neither a bargain nor obviously overpriced
+ Dividend yield of 3.6% pays you to wait
Growth Analyst
bearish
32
/ 100 · High confidence
Growth story is weak, decelerating, or inconsistent
− EPS declining -16.2% YoY despite any revenue growth
Technical Analyst
neutral
58
/ 100 · High confidence
Mixed or range-bound price action
+ Price structure making higher highs and higher lows
− MACD histogram negative -- bearish momentum
Risk Analyst
bearish
35
/ 100 · Low confidence
Elevated risk from leverage, volatility, event exposure, or portfolio concentration -- size accordingly
− Current ratio of 0.80 is tight -- limited short-term liquidity cushion
Macro Analyst
bullish
70
/ 100 · Moderate confidence
Macro backdrop is supportive of risk assets generally, and this name's beta works in its favor
+ Market regime is bullish (Bull market -- normal position sizing)
News Analyst
bullish
62
/ 100 · Low confidence
News flow and recent filings/analyst actions are net positive
Portfolio Manager
neutral
55
/ 100 · Moderate confidence
Portfolio-level factors are mixed -- worth a deliberate sizing decision, not a default-size position
+ Portfolio position concentration is currently healthy
− 4 existing position pair(s) are highly correlated already
Investment Thesis Evolution
Committee score moved marginally from 52.4 to 52.4.
Comparing 2026-08-08 to 2026-08-09 (1 day apart).
Technical Analysis
RSI (14)
57.4
Neutral
MACD Histogram
-0.049
Bearish Momentum
Trend Direction
Uptrend
Weekly: Sideways
Market Structure
Mixed
Support
$38.92
Resistance
$40.05
Bollinger %B
0.69
Inside Bands
Price vs Moving Averages
EMA 9
$39.76
Below
EMA 21
$39.45
Below
EMA 50
$38.91
Above
EMA 200
$38.76
Above
Fundamental Analysis
Valuation
92
Growth
45
Profitability
65
Financial Health
32
Cash Flow
15
Valuation
P/E Ratio
20.4×
P/B Ratio
1.62×
PEG Ratio
-1.29
Dividend Yield
3.42%
52W High
$42.37
52W Low
$36.11
Quality & Growth
ROE
898.8%
ROA
309.8%
Gross Margin
5348.2%
Operating Margin
3506.4%
Revenue Growth YoY
—
Debt / Equity
1.21
AI Fundamental Assessment
P/E ratio of 20.4 (inexpensive relative to a 15-40x range); Price-to-book of 1.6x; PEG ratio of -1.3 (under 1.0 suggests growth is undervalued relative to price); Return on equity of 9.0%; Return on assets of 3.1%; Net margin of 21.6%; Gross margin of 53.5%; Current ratio of 0.78 (tight short-term liquidity); Debt-to-equity of 1.21; Free cash flow per share is negative (-1.80); Most recent quarter beat estimates by 0.2%; EPS growth decelerating (+68.1% -> -51.9% QoQ); Average YoY EPS growth of 0.0%; Analyst estimates falling over recent quarters
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