Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) Shares Sold by Natixis Investment Managers International

Natixis Investment Managers International trimmed its position in Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) by 38.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,033 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,489 shares during the period. Natixis Investment Managers International’s holdings in Essential Utilities were worth $149,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WTRG. Bare Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in Essential Utilities in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities by 857.5% in the first quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 699 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities by 78.9% in the fourth quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 737 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities by 4,210.0% in the fourth quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 862 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 842 shares in the last quarter. Finally, VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Essential Utilities by 52.9% in the fourth quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 977 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 338 shares in the last quarter. 74.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Robert A. Rubin sold 2,342 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.43, for a total transaction of $87,661.06. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 53,391 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,998,425.13. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, CAO Robert A. Rubin sold 2,342 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.43, for a total transaction of $87,661.06. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 53,391 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,998,425.13. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Robert A. Rubin sold 2,023 shares of Essential Utilities stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.56, for a total value of $73,960.88. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 13,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $488,368.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Essential Utilities from $44.00 to $43.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Essential Utilities currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $43.00.

Essential Utilities Stock Down 1.0 %

Essential Utilities stock traded down $0.43 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $40.64. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,204,234 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,591,735. Essential Utilities, Inc. has a 52-week low of $32.07 and a 52-week high of $43.26. The company has a market cap of $11.12 billion, a PE ratio of 19.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $38.10 and its 200 day moving average is $37.00.

Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $612.07 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $747.44 million. Essential Utilities had a net margin of 29.52% and a return on equity of 8.62%. On average, analysts anticipate that Essential Utilities, Inc. will post 1.97 earnings per share for the current year.

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.