Overview
U.S. water and gas utility's Q1 revenue rose 10% yr/yr, driven by regulatory recoveries
GAAP EPS fell to $0.79 from $1.03
Adjusted EPS for Q1 was $0.83, excluding merger-related costs
Outlook
Essential Utilities anticipates EPS growth at a compound annual rate of 5-7%
Company expects regulated infrastructure investments of $1.7 bln in 2026
Essential Utilities has a multiyear plan to comply with EPA PFAS regulations
Result Drivers
REGULATORY RECOVERIES - Co said additional revenues from regulatory recoveries and purchased gas costs were main revenue drivers
HIGHER OPERATING COSTS - Operations and maintenance expenses rose due to increased employee-related costs, overtime, outside services from cold weather, and merger-related expenses
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT - Co invested $269 mln in infrastructure in Q1 as part of ongoing capital improvement plans
Company press release: ID:nBwbHmLtKa
Key Details
Metric
Beat/Miss
Actual
Consensus Estimate
Q1 Revenue
Beat
$861.76 mln
$782.90 mln (1 Analyst)
Q1 EPS
$0.79
Q1 Net Income
$224.39 mln
Q1 Operating income
$310.64 mln
Q1 Pretax Profit
$230.78 mln
Analyst Coverage
The current average analyst rating on the shares is "hold" and the breakdown of recommendations is 2 "strong buy" or "buy", 4 "hold" and 1 "sell" or "strong sell"
Wall Street's median 12-month price target for Essential Utilities Inc is $42.50, about 13.2% above its May 6 closing price of $37.54
The stock recently traded at 16 times the next 12-month earnings vs. a P/E of 17 three months ago
For questions concerning the data in this report, contact Estimates.Support@lseg.com. For any other questions or feedback, contact reuters.support@thomsonreuters.com.
(This story was created using Reuters automation and AI based on LSEG and company data. It was checked and edited by a Reuters journalist prior to publication.)