Essential Utilities [WTRG] vs California Water [CWT] Detailed Stock Comparison

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 20 vital metrics comparison: Essential Utilities wins in 10 metrics, California Water wins in 9 metrics, with 0 ties. Essential Utilities appears stronger overall.

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

MetricEssential UtilitiesCalifornia WaterBetter
P/E Ratio (TTM)16.9019.91Essential Utilities
Price-to-Book Ratio1.641.63California Water
Debt-to-Equity Ratio116.1192.71California Water
PEG Ratio0.4713.94Essential Utilities
EV/EBITDA14.5711.96California Water
Profit Margin (TTM)27.62%13.71%Essential Utilities
Operating Margin (TTM)35.92%23.90%Essential Utilities
EBITDA Margin (TTM)35.92%23.90%Essential Utilities
Return on Equity10.03%8.44%Essential Utilities
Return on Assets (TTM)3.14%2.56%Essential Utilities
Free Cash Flow (TTM)$-559.40M$-179.93MCalifornia Water
Dividend Yield3.53%N/AN/A
1-Year Return2.32%-13.06%Essential Utilities
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)4.722.73California Water
Enterprise Value$18.82B$4.19BEssential Utilities
EV/Revenue Ratio8.054.23California Water
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)60.14%64.32%California Water
Revenue per Share (TTM)$8$17California Water
Earnings per Share (Diluted)$2.33$2.28Essential Utilities
Beta (Stock Volatility)0.810.67California Water
Performance
News Sentiment
Key Stats
Valuation
Financials
Short Interest
Dividends

Essential Utilities vs California Water Stock Performance Analysis

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Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
Essential Utilities1.75%2.43%4.43%8.62%4.57%11.18%
California Water0.31%0.40%-1.71%0.00%-4.13%1.72%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
Essential Utilities2.32%0.40%-4.25%42.24%142.11%107.08%
California Water-13.06%-16.70%-1.58%96.04%142.23%159.49%

News Based Sentiment: Essential Utilities vs California Water

Essential Utilities

News based Sentiment: MIXED

October was a mixed month for Essential Utilities, with positive developments like analyst upgrades and reaffirmed guidance countered by a downgrade and fluctuating institutional investment. While the company's long-term growth strategy remains intact with significant infrastructure investments and acquisitions, the conflicting signals create some uncertainty for investors.

View Essential Utilities News Sentiment Analysis

California Water

News based Sentiment: POSITIVE

October was a strong month for California Water Service Group, marked by successful debt financing, positive analyst ratings, and continued dividend growth. These developments collectively strengthen the investment case and suggest a stable, long-term outlook for the company.

View California Water News Sentiment Analysis

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: Essential Utilities vs California Water

MetricWTRGCWT
Market Information
Market Cap i$11.12B$2.70B
Market Cap CategoryLarge capMid cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i1,780,830351,210
90 Day Avg. Volume i2,081,393324,813
Last Close$40.07$45.54
52 Week Range$33.18 - $41.65$41.64 - $54.75
% from 52W High-3.79%-16.82%
All-Time High$54.52 (Feb 17, 2020)$72.08 (Dec 27, 2021)
% from All-Time High-26.50%-36.82%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.19%0.09%
Quarterly Earnings Growth0.43%0.04%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.28%0.14%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.36%0.24%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.10%0.08%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i116.1192.71
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$23.96$27.77
Cash per Share (MRQ)$0.09$0.85
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$915.75M$257.30M
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$-700,683,264$-343,141,376
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i3.53%N/A
Last 12-Month Dividend i$1.32$0.00

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: Essential Utilities vs California Water

MetricWTRGCWT
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i16.9019.91
Forward P/E i18.4919.74
PEG Ratio i0.4713.94
Price to Sales (TTM) i4.722.73
Price to Book (MRQ) i1.641.63
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$11.12B$2.70B
Enterprise Value i$18.82B$4.19B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i8.054.23
Enterprise to EBITDA i14.5711.96
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i0.810.67
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$23.96$27.77

Financial Statements Comparison: Essential Utilities vs California Water

Financial Metrics

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Revenue

EBITDA

Shareholders Equity

Operating Margin

Free Cash Flow

Long Term Debt

Profit Margin

Current Ratio

Operating Cash Flow

Income Statement (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)WTRGCWT
Revenue/Sales i$783.63M$203.97M
Cost of Goods Sold i$322.47M$67.39M
Gross Profit i$461.16M$136.58M
Research & Development iN/AN/A
Operating Income (EBIT) i$338.91M$25.61M
EBITDA i$438.57M$63.55M
Pre-Tax Income i$263.19M$13.20M
Income Tax i$-20.60MN/A
Net Income (Profit) i$283.79M$13.20M

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)WTRGCWT
Cash & Equivalents i$20.78M$44.46M
Total Current Assets i$494.48M$319.22M
Total Current Liabilities i$756.61M$604.08M
Long-Term Debt i$7.55B$1.10B
Total Shareholders Equity i$6.46B$1.63B
Retained Earnings i$2.14B$668.02M
Property, Plant & Equipment i$16.57BN/A

Cash Flow Statement Comparison (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)WTRGCWT
Operating Cash Flow i$347.34M$38.42M
Capital Expenditures i$-270.54MN/A
Free Cash Flow i$28.98M$-71.68M
Debt Repayment i$-689.61M$-90.21M
Common Stock Repurchase i$-2.23M$-1.11M

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricWTRGCWT
Shares Short i5.01M918,558
Short Ratio i2.593.47
Short % of Float i0.02%0.02%
Average Daily Volume (10 Day) i1,780,830351,210
Average Daily Volume (90 Day) i2,081,393324,813
Shares Outstanding i274.82M59.48M
Float Shares i279.59M59.04M
% Held by Insiders i0.00%0.01%
% Held by Institutions i0.82%0.91%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: Essential Utilities vs California Water

MetricWTRGCWT
Last 12-Month Dividend i$1.32$0.00
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i3.53%N/A
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$1.24$0.61
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i0.77%0.47%
3-Year Total Dividends i$3.72$1.82
Ex-Dividend DateMay 13, 2025Feb 09, 2024