Analyst Consensus ?
ConsensusBuy18 ratings
Bullish1055.6%
Neutral738.9%
Bearish15.5%
Essential Utilities, Inc. · WTRG · FY2026 Q2 · Calendar Q3 2026
Essential Utilities reaffirms growth outlook as merger and infrastructure plans advance
The quarter supports a measured growth case built on regulated investment, customer additions and recovery mechanisms, while regulatory approvals, rate-case outcomes and merger execution remain important conditions.
Why did WTRG rise 0.1% after beating EPS estimates in FY2026 Q2?
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Reported After market closeNYSEUtilities
$12.80B market cap
100quality score
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensus
Reported EPS
$0.38
Consensus $0.37
EPS surprise
+2.3%
Reported versus consensus
Reported revenue
$530.9M
Consensus $538.9M
Revenue surprise
-1.5%
Reported versus consensus
Market reaction
event-close to next-session close
Stock move
+0.1%
Event window
SPY move
-0.2%
Same window
Abnormal move
+0.3%
Stock minus SPY
Volume
0.9×
Versus trailing sessions
Subsequent drift
+5.0%
Up to 20 sessions
WTRGSPY benchmark
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Why did WTRG rise 0.1% after beating EPS estimates in FY2026 Q2?What changed in WTRG's guidance and outlook in FY2026 Q2?Give me the bull and bear case for WTRG after FY2026 Q2 earnings.
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Transcript intelligence
What changed
Management described the American Water merger as expected to close in Q1 2027, with approvals received in Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia and additional state approvals pending. The call also highlighted an approximately $1.7 billion infrastructure program, pending municipal-system acquisitions, and a 5.25% dividend increase.
Guidance delta
Annual EPS growth guidance of 5%–7% through 2027 was maintained. Management continues to expect the American Water merger to close in Q1 2027; no change to that outlook was reported in the supplied analysis.
Key takeaways
- Q2 2026 results included $0.37 GAAP EPS and $0.38 non-GAAP EPS; the supplied scorecard indicates EPS above consensus and revenue below consensus.
- Management reaffirmed 5%–7% annual EPS growth guidance through 2027.
- The merger process, infrastructure spending and municipal acquisition pipeline are central to the company’s stated growth plan.
Management priorities
- Advance required state approvals and prepare to integrate with American Water.
- Continue regulated water, wastewater and natural-gas infrastructure investment.
- Pursue municipal system acquisitions and regulatory recovery, including rate-case and DSIC mechanisms.
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Try FN2 freeEarnings History
Estimate
Beat
Miss
Match
Analyst 52W Price Targets
$45.13Previous close
$38Low
$45.62Average
$54High
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted previous close from FN2's market snapshot as of Nov 5, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.
Firm-level rating actions
FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.
| Firm | Rating | Prior rating | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UBS | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Barclays | Underweight | Underweight | Maintain | Jul 15, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Oct 28, 2025 |
| Janney Montgomery Scott | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Oct 27, 2025 |
| Baird | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Aug 4, 2025 |
| Evercore ISI Group | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Mar 5, 2025 |
| Wells Fargo | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Feb 27, 2025 |
| Edward Jones | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Nov 3, 2023 |
| Northcoast Research | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Sep 28, 2023 |
| RBC Capital | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Mar 16, 2023 |
| B of A Securities | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Sep 9, 2022 |
| HSBC | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Aug 18, 2022 |
| Bank of America | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 15, 2019 |
| Boenning & Scattergood | Outperform | Neutral | Upgrade | Aug 20, 2018 |
| Hilliard Lyons | Neutral | Underperform | Upgrade | Dec 21, 2017 |
| Argus | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Dec 13, 2017 |
| Ladenburg Thalmann | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Jan 7, 2016 |
| Macquarie | Neutral | Underperform | Upgrade | Aug 5, 2014 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted previous close $45.13. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UBS | Gregg Orrill | $49 | $42 | +8.6% | Sep 10, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $40 | $38.59 | -11.4% | Jul 15, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $46 | $38.03 | +1.9% | Jul 2, 2026 |
| UBS | Gregg Orrill | $43 | $36.69 | -4.7% | May 29, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $41 | $37.09 | -9.2% | May 7, 2026 |
| Barclays | Nicholas Campanella | $38 | $38.31 | -15.8% | Dec 17, 2025 |
| Northcoast Research | Ryan Connors | $42 | $38.85 | -6.9% | Dec 3, 2025 |
| Jefferies | Analyst unavailable | $44 | $40.38 | -2.5% | Oct 28, 2025 |
| UBS | Gregg Orrill | $45 | $40.63 | -0.3% | Oct 28, 2025 |
| Northcoast Research | Analyst unavailable | $46 | $41.21 | +1.9% | Oct 27, 2025 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $43 | $40.47 | -4.7% | Oct 10, 2025 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $42 | $38.82 | -6.9% | Oct 2, 2025 |
| UBS | Gregg Orrill | $47 | $39.34 | +4.1% | Aug 15, 2025 |
| UBS | Gregg Orrill | $42 | $33.74 | -6.9% | Jan 14, 2025 |
| Wells Fargo | Jonathan Reeder | $39 | $35.27 | -13.6% | Jan 7, 2025 |
| Bank of America Securities | Ross Fowler | $45 | $38.32 | -0.3% | Sep 20, 2024 |
| Robert W. Baird | Davis Sunderland | $43 | $37.78 | -4.7% | May 6, 2024 |
| RBC Capital | Shelby Tucker | $54 | $36.03 | +19.7% | Apr 4, 2024 |
| Robert W. Baird | Analyst unavailable | $54 | $51.56 | +19.7% | Aug 5, 2022 |
| Wells Fargo | Analyst unavailable | $53 | $48.98 | +17.4% | Apr 19, 2022 |
Track every rating change on WTRG the moment it posts. Free to start.
Start freeCompany context
Snapshot as of publicationEssential Utilities, Inc. is a diversified utility enterprise that, through its various operating units, delivers vital water, wastewater, and natural gas services within the United States. Its operations extend beyond direct utility provision, encompassing contractual management and maintenance of water systems for municipal authorities and other organizations. The company also offers specialized non-utility services, such as providing untreated water resources for the natural gas drilling sector and, via a third-party partner, supplying protective and repair solutions for household water and sewer…
Historical context
All WTRG earningsLatest beats and misses
Who reports nextBeat on EPS
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- CRCLFY2026 Q3 · November 4, 2026+119.5% EPS+1.2% move
- PFGCFY2027 Q1 · November 4, 2026+3.9% EPS+13.5% move
- MDLNFY2026 Q3 · November 4, 2026+28.2% EPS+18.4% move
Missed on EPS
- UTHRFY2026 Q3 · November 4, 2026-5.0% EPS+1.2% move
- TRMBFY2026 Q3 · November 4, 2026-0.2% EPS-17.3% move
- OCFY2026 Q3 · November 4, 2026-20.5% EPS+8.5% move
- OHIFY2026 Q3 · November 3, 2026-42.5% EPS+3.5% move
- MOSFY2026 Q3 · November 3, 2026-1656.0% EPS+17.4% move
- OVVFY2026 Q3 · November 3, 2026-2.0% EPS-5.1% move
Get the WTRG recap when the next report posts
One email per quarter with the scorecard, the market reaction and what changed on the call. No account needed.
Sources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-08-05T18:15:23.574237+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-09-09T01:23:14.388487+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-11-05T06:10:43.802544+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-11-05T06:10:43.799852+00:00
Methodology
Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.
Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.
Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.
By FN2 Research · Updated · As of 2026-11-05. For educational purposes only; not investment advice.