Cambiar Investors LLC Has $9.75 Million Stock Holdings in Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG)

Cambiar Investors LLC lowered its position in Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) by 12.1% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 268,353 shares of the company’s stock after selling 37,098 shares during the quarter. Cambiar Investors LLC’s holdings in Essential Utilities were worth $9,747,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Glenmede Trust Co. NA grew its stake in Essential Utilities by 1.6% in the third quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 51,881 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,001,000 after purchasing an additional 803 shares in the last quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Essential Utilities by 92.8% in the fourth quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC now owns 148,009 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,529,000 after purchasing an additional 71,222 shares in the last quarter. Empower Advisory Group LLC grew its stake in Essential Utilities by 5.6% in the third quarter. Empower Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,585,475 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,152,000 after purchasing an additional 84,596 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its stake in Essential Utilities by 16.7% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 6,811,851 shares of the company’s stock valued at $247,134,000 after purchasing an additional 972,803 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in Essential Utilities in the fourth quarter valued at about $638,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.78% of the company’s stock.

Essential Utilities Price Performance

NYSE WTRG opened at $34.92 on Tuesday. Essential Utilities, Inc. has a twelve month low of $33.18 and a twelve month high of $41.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.59 billion, a PE ratio of 17.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.86. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $36.25 and a 200 day simple moving average of $38.24.

Essential Utilities Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, February 10th will be given a dividend of $0.3255 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 10th. This represents a $1.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.73%. Essential Utilities’s dividend payout ratio is presently 65.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on WTRG shares. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Essential Utilities from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $41.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Wells Fargo & Company cut Essential Utilities from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $43.00 to $39.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. UBS Group reduced their price target on Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Essential Utilities from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $43.00.

Essential Utilities 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.