WTRG · NYSE · STOCK
Essential Utilities (WTRG) Stock Analysis
$38.98
52W $36.10 – $42.51
50/100
$11.06B
19.9
0.62
Is WTRG Bullish or Bearish?
Mixed.
Innellis AI committee rates Essential Utilities (WTRG) Watch with a composite score of 50/100
, based on 6 analysts with 33% agreement.
Last updated October 10, 2026.
What Would Change This View
- Upgrade to Buy
- Requires a committee score of 60.0 — +9.64 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 — -10.36 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. 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
- Weekly trend (sideways) confirms the daily trend -- multi-timeframe agreement — Technical
Bear Case
- EPS declining -16.2% YoY despite any revenue growth — Growth
- 2 consecutive earnings misses -- execution concerns — 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 October 10, 2026
Overall Committee Score
50/100
Agreement
33%
Analysts
6
Conviction
Contested
Sector Rank
Top 69%
of 56 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
29
/ 100 · High confidence
Growth story is weak, decelerating, or inconsistent
− EPS declining -16.2% YoY despite any revenue growth
Technical Analyst
neutral
54
/ 100 · High confidence
Mixed or range-bound price action
+ Weekly trend (sideways) confirms the daily trend -- multi-timeframe agreement
− 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
65
/ 100 · Low confidence
Macro backdrop is supportive of risk assets generally, and this name's beta works in its favor
News Analyst
bullish
62
/ 100 · Low confidence
News flow and recent filings/analyst actions are net positive
Portfolio Manager
bearish
30
/ 100 · Moderate confidence
The existing book itself argues for caution here, independent of how good this specific stock looks
− Sector concentration is already high (HHI 2796.97)
Investment Thesis Evolution
Committee score moved marginally from 50.4 to 50.4.
Comparing 2026-10-09 to 2026-10-10 (1 day apart).
Technical Analysis
RSI (14)
42.6
Neutral
MACD Histogram
-0.108
Bearish Momentum
Trend Direction
Sideways
Weekly: Sideways
Market Structure
Hh Hl
Support
$38.92
Resistance
$39.77
Bollinger %B
0.31
Inside Bands
Price vs Moving Averages
EMA 9
$39.02
Below
EMA 21
$39.60
Below
EMA 50
$39.88
Below
EMA 200
$39.32
Below
Fundamental Analysis
Valuation
93
Growth
34
Profitability
65
Financial Health
32
Cash Flow
15
Valuation
P/E Ratio
19.9×
P/B Ratio
1.58×
PEG Ratio
-1.25
Dividend Yield
3.56%
52W High
$42.51
52W Low
$36.10
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 19.9 (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 (-1.72); Most recent quarter missed estimates by 2.4%; 2 consecutive earnings misses; EPS growth decelerating (+68.1% -> -53.2% QoQ); Average YoY EPS growth of -2.6%; Analyst estimates falling over recent quarters
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