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Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) reported strong first-quarter 2025 results on May 12, with revenue jumping 28% year-over-year and earnings per share rising 6.2%. The company maintained its full-year EPS guidance of $2.07-$2.11 while continuing to execute on its infrastructure investment and acquisition strategy.
Quarterly Performance Highlights
Essential Utilities delivered a solid start to 2025, reporting Q1 EPS of $1.03, up from $0.97 in the same period last year. The company achieved operating revenues of $783.6 million, representing a substantial 28% increase from Q1 2024. Net income rose to $283.8 million, a 6.8% improvement year-over-year.
"We’ve started 2025 with strong momentum, delivering meaningful growth in both our water and gas segments while continuing to invest in critical infrastructure," said Christopher Franklin, Chairman and CEO of Essential Utilities, according to the presentation materials.
As shown in the following financial highlights chart, the company saw improvements across multiple metrics compared to Q1 2024:
The revenue growth was primarily driven by rate and surcharge increases, which contributed $67.2 million, along with higher purchased gas costs of $55 million and increased gas volume worth $30.3 million. These factors more than offset a slight $3 million decrease in water volume.
As illustrated in this waterfall chart breaking down revenue changes:
Detailed Financial Analysis
Essential Utilities’ earnings growth was primarily driven by rate and surcharge increases, which added $0.17 per share, and higher gas volume contributing $0.08 per share. These positive factors were partially offset by a $0.21 reduction from other factors and a slight $0.01 decrease from lower water volume.
The following chart details the components of the EPS change from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025:
Operations and maintenance expenses remained well-controlled at $137.8 million, representing just a 0.7% increase year-over-year. This disciplined cost management helped support the company’s bottom line despite inflationary pressures.
The company’s business demonstrates significant seasonality, with 40-50% of annual net income typically generated in the first quarter. According to the presentation, Essential expects 60-80% of its annual net income to be earned in the first and fourth quarters combined, reflecting the seasonal nature of its gas business.
Strategic Initiatives
Essential Utilities continues to execute on its multi-faceted growth strategy, focusing on both infrastructure investment and acquisitions. The company has planned $1.4-$1.5 billion in infrastructure investments for 2025 alone, as part of a larger $7.8 billion investment program for 2025-2029.
The company has maintained a consistent growth trajectory over recent years, with diluted income per share showing a 5% CAGR from 2021 to 2025 and steadily increasing dividend payments, marking the 80th consecutive year of dividend distributions.
As shown in this multi-year growth chart:
In the water and wastewater segment, Essential Utilities has demonstrated continued success with its acquisition strategy. Since 2015, the company has added approximately 129,000 customers and over $518 million in rate base through acquisitions. Current pending transactions include Delcora (PA), Greenville (PA), Beaver Falls (PA), Dril-Quip (NYSE:INVX) (TX), and Integra (TX).
The following chart illustrates the company’s acquisition progress:
On the gas side, Peoples Gas is targeting an 11% rate base CAGR through 2029. As the largest natural gas distribution company in Pennsylvania with over $4 billion of rate base, Peoples serves more than 745,000 customers and benefits from proximity to abundant, low-cost natural gas sources.
Forward-Looking Statements
Essential Utilities reaffirmed its 2025 EPS guidance of $2.07-$2.11 and maintained its longer-term outlook for 5-7% EPS growth through 2027. The company expects its regulated utility rate base to grow at 8% through 2029, supported by the planned $7.8 billion in infrastructure investments.
The comprehensive guidance outlook is detailed in the following slide:
The company plans to raise approximately $315 million in equity in 2025, having already issued about $210 million via an at-the-market (ATM) program. Essential Utilities aims to maintain a dividend payout ratio of 60-65% and a debt-to-capital ratio of 50-55%.
For the water segment (Aqua), the company targets a rate base CAGR of approximately 6% through 2029 and an annual customer growth rate of 2-3% over the long term. The gas segment (Peoples) is expected to achieve a more aggressive rate base CAGR of approximately 11% through 2029, though with a stable rather than growing customer base.
Essential Utilities continues to operate in what it describes as constructive regulatory jurisdictions, with completed regulatory recoveries in Q1 2025 totaling $90.1 million in annualized revenue increases across its water and gas segments. The company has additional pending regulatory filings that could add $59.5 million in annualized revenue if approved.
As of May 12, 2025, Essential Utilities’ stock was trading at $40.08, down 1.67% for the day, within its 52-week range of $33.18 to $41.78. The company’s market capitalization stands at approximately $10.3 billion.
Full presentation:
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