Valuation
26% of the score
61median 56
Essential Utilities, Inc. is valued at 21.3x its operating profit, including debt: a rich multiple.
60x
50x
35x
25x
18x
12x
8x
21.3x
Full points at 8x or less, none from 60xfull points
WTRGEssential Utilities, Inc.
$38.95+4.3% 1Y
$38.95
$36.0352 weeks$41.99
RyuScore
Seven criteria, each scored 0 to 100 on a published scale, weighted into one number.
RyuScore 54 out of 100, Average
Today's price. Only valuation depends on it.
Average. Essential Utilities, Inc. scores higher than 46% of the 1,794 companies Ryufin scores.
Carried by return on new capital and earnings quality, held back by return on capital and the balance sheet.
Utilities median 49 · all companies 57
How the score has moved
At each fiscal year end, from the reports and price of the time39
49
53
53
50
53
54
202020212022202320242025today
The biggest move was up 10 points from 2020 to 2021, mostly return on new capital.
Return on capital
18% of the score
19median 34
Over 7 years the business earned 4.5% a year after tax on the capital it uses.
2%
8%
15%
25%
4.5%
None at 2% or less, full points from 25%full points
7 years agolatest 4.8%
Return on new capital
16% of the score
81median 49
For every dollar of operating profit earned over 6 years, yearly profit grew by 9 cents. New capital earned 5.8%, and 152% of profit went back into the business.
-5%
12%
8.8%
None at minus 5 cents, full points from 12 centsfull points
Capital allocation
14% of the score
63median 64
How management spends the money: shares bought back or issued, and whether assets grow faster than the business they serve.
Share countUp 2% a year over 5 years: new shares
385%
-3%
2%
0 pointsfull points
Assets against salesAssets grew 7.3% a year, sales 11%
10012%
-2%
-3.8%
0 pointsfull points
Cycle position
12% of the score
65median 62
Today's operating margin of 35% is 1.01x its normal 35%: close to its usual level. Normal is half the 10 year median, half the last four years, so a margin that has held is not taken for a peak.
2x
1.5x
1x
0.7x
1x
A trough earns points, a peak costs themfull points
10 years agonow 35%
Balance sheet
8% of the score
5median 50
What the debt weighs against the profit that has to carry it.
Net debt to EBITDA6.3x a year of EBITDA
04.5x
0.5x
6.3x
0 pointsfull points
Interest coverOperating profit covers interest 3x
111.5x
12x
2.6x
0 pointsfull points
Earnings quality
6% of the score
85median 90
Whether the reported profit arrives as cash, and whether the accounts show the usual signs of stretching.
Cash against profitOperating cash flow was 1.59x profit over 3 years
1000.7x
1x
1.3x
1.6x
0 pointsfull points
AccrualsCash ran ahead of profit by 2.1% of assets
718%
0%
-8%
-2.1%
0 pointsfull points
How the RyuScore works
Each criterion earns 0 to 100 points on the scale drawn under it, and the RyuScore is their average weighted 26, 18, 16, 14, 12, 8 and 6. Scales bend in the company's favour between their ends, so an ordinary figure is never already near zero. Where a criterion cannot be measured from the filings it is taken out and the remaining weights scale up; a company needs 60% of the weight covered, and always a price, to get a score.
Built from the company's annual and quarterly filings with the SEC and today's share price. Banks, insurers and property trusts are not scored: their debt is their raw material, so these yardsticks mean something else there. Figures as of 2026-06-30, latest annual report FY2025.