Essential Utilities Debt

WTRG Stock  USD 40.11  0.58  1.47%   
Essential Utilities holds a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.174. At this time, Essential Utilities' Long Term Debt Total is most likely to increase significantly in the upcoming years. The Essential Utilities' current Debt To Equity is estimated to increase to 1.33, while Long Term Debt is projected to decrease to roughly 3.9 B. . Essential Utilities' financial risk is the risk to Essential Utilities stockholders that is caused by an increase in debt.

Asset vs Debt

Equity vs Debt

Essential Utilities' liquidity is one of the most fundamental aspects of both its future profitability and its ability to meet different types of ongoing financial obligations. Essential Utilities' cash, liquid assets, total liabilities, and shareholder equity can be utilized to evaluate how much leverage the Company is using to sustain its current operations. For traders, higher-leverage indicators usually imply a higher risk to shareholders. In addition, it helps Essential Stock's retail investors understand whether an upcoming fall or rise in the market will negatively affect Essential Utilities' stakeholders.

Essential Utilities Quarterly Net Debt

7.42 Billion

For most companies, including Essential Utilities, marketable securities, inventories, and receivables are the most common assets that could be converted to cash. However, for Essential Utilities, the most critical issue when managing liquidity is ensuring that current assets are properly aligned with current liabilities. If they are not, Essential Utilities' management will need to obtain alternative financing to ensure there are always enough cash equivalents on the balance sheet to meet obligations.
Price Book
1.7563
Book Value
22.508
Operating Margin
0.3568
Profit Margin
0.2784
Return On Assets
0.026
Given that Essential Utilities' debt-to-equity ratio measures a Company's obligations relative to the value of its net assets, it is usually used by traders to estimate the extent to which Essential Utilities is acquiring new debt as a mechanism of leveraging its assets. A high debt-to-equity ratio is generally associated with increased risk, implying that it has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. Another way to look at debt-to-equity ratios is to compare the overall debt load of Essential Utilities to its assets or equity, showing how much of the company assets belong to shareholders vs. creditors. If shareholders own more assets, Essential Utilities is said to be less leveraged. If creditors hold a majority of Essential Utilities' assets, the Company is said to be highly leveraged.
The Essential Utilities' current Total Current Liabilities is estimated to increase to about 837.8 M. The Essential Utilities' current Liabilities And Stockholders Equity is estimated to increase to about 17.7 B
  
Check out the analysis of Essential Utilities Fundamentals Over Time.
For more detail on how to invest in Essential Stock please use our How to Invest in Essential Utilities guide.

Essential Utilities Bond Ratings

Essential Utilities financial ratings play a critical role in determining how much Essential Utilities have to pay to access credit markets, i.e., the amount of interest on their issued debt. The threshold between investment-grade and speculative-grade ratings has important market implications for Essential Utilities' borrowing costs.
Piotroski F Score
8
StrongView
Beneish M Score
(1.99)
Possible ManipulatorView

Essential Utilities Debt to Cash Allocation

Many companies such as Essential Utilities, eventually find out that there is only so much market out there to be conquered, and adding the next product or service is only half as profitable per unit as their current endeavors. Eventually, the company will reach a point where cash flows are strong, and extra cash is available but not fully utilized. In this case, the company may start buying back its stock from the public or issue more dividends.
Essential Utilities currently holds 7.09 B in liabilities with Debt to Equity (D/E) ratio of 1.17, which is about average as compared to similar companies. Essential Utilities has a current ratio of 0.74, indicating that it has a negative working capital and may not be able to pay financial obligations when due. Note, when we think about Essential Utilities' use of debt, we should always consider it together with its cash and equity.

Essential Utilities Common Stock Shares Outstanding Over Time

Essential Utilities Assets Financed by Debt

The debt-to-assets ratio shows the degree to which Essential Utilities uses debt to finance its assets. It includes both long-term and short-term borrowings maturing within one year. It also includes both tangible and intangible assets, such as goodwill.

Essential Utilities Debt Ratio

    
  42.0   
It seems as roughly 58% of Essential Utilities' assets are financed through equity. Typically, companies with high debt-to-asset ratios are said to be highly leveraged. The higher the ratio, the greater risk will be associated with the Essential Utilities' operation. In addition, a high debt-to-assets ratio may indicate a low borrowing capacity of Essential Utilities, which in turn will lower the firm's financial flexibility.

Essential Utilities Corporate Bonds Issued

Most Essential bonds can be classified according to their maturity, which is the date when Essential Utilities has to pay back the principal to investors. Maturities can be short-term, medium-term, or long-term (more than ten years). Longer-term bonds usually offer higher interest rates but may entail additional risks.

Essential Short Long Term Debt Total

Short Long Term Debt Total

7.44 Billion

At this time, Essential Utilities' Short and Long Term Debt Total is most likely to increase significantly in the upcoming years.

Understaning Essential Utilities Use of Financial Leverage

Essential Utilities' financial leverage ratio helps determine the effect of debt on the overall profitability of the company. It measures Essential Utilities' total debt position, including all outstanding debt obligations, and compares it with Essential Utilities' equity. Financial leverage can amplify the potential profits to Essential Utilities' owners, but it also increases the potential losses and risk of financial distress, including bankruptcy, if Essential Utilities is unable to cover its debt costs.
Last ReportedProjected for Next Year
Short and Long Term Debt Total7.1 B7.4 B
Net Debt7.1 B7.4 B
Short Term Debt240.9 M130.1 M
Long Term Debt6.8 B3.9 B
Long Term Debt Total7.3 B7.7 B
Short and Long Term Debt227.5 M202.6 M
Net Debt To EBITDA 6.69  3.38 
Debt To Equity 1.20  1.33 
Interest Debt Per Share 27.51  28.89 
Debt To Assets 0.41  0.42 
Long Term Debt To Capitalization 0.54  0.57 
Total Debt To Capitalization 0.55  0.59 
Debt Equity Ratio 1.20  1.33 
Debt Ratio 0.41  0.42 
Cash Flow To Debt Ratio 0.13  0.19 
Please read more on our technical analysis page.

Currently Active Assets on Macroaxis

When determining whether Essential Utilities is a strong investment it is important to analyze Essential Utilities' competitive position within its industry, examining market share, product or service uniqueness, and competitive advantages. Beyond financials and market position, potential investors should also consider broader economic conditions, industry trends, and any regulatory or geopolitical factors that may impact Essential Utilities' future performance. For an informed investment choice regarding Essential Stock, refer to the following important reports:
Check out the analysis of Essential Utilities Fundamentals Over Time.
For more detail on how to invest in Essential Stock please use our How to Invest in Essential Utilities guide.
You can also try the Price Transformation module to use Price Transformation models to analyze the depth of different equity instruments across global markets.
Is Water Utilities space expected to grow? Or is there an opportunity to expand the business' product line in the future? Factors like these will boost the valuation of Essential Utilities. If investors know Essential will grow in the future, the company's valuation will be higher. The financial industry is built on trying to define current growth potential and future valuation accurately. All the valuation information about Essential Utilities listed above have to be considered, but the key to understanding future value is determining which factors weigh more heavily than others.
Quarterly Earnings Growth
(0.17)
Dividend Share
1.247
Earnings Share
1.99
Revenue Per Share
7.169
Quarterly Revenue Growth
0.058
The market value of Essential Utilities is measured differently than its book value, which is the value of Essential that is recorded on the company's balance sheet. Investors also form their own opinion of Essential Utilities' value that differs from its market value or its book value, called intrinsic value, which is Essential Utilities' true underlying value. Investors use various methods to calculate intrinsic value and buy a stock when its market value falls below its intrinsic value. Because Essential Utilities' market value can be influenced by many factors that don't directly affect Essential Utilities' underlying business (such as a pandemic or basic market pessimism), market value can vary widely from intrinsic value.
Please note, there is a significant difference between Essential Utilities' value and its price as these two are different measures arrived at by different means. Investors typically determine if Essential Utilities is a good investment by looking at such factors as earnings, sales, fundamental and technical indicators, competition as well as analyst projections. However, Essential Utilities' price is the amount at which it trades on the open market and represents the number that a seller and buyer find agreeable to each party.

What is Financial Leverage?

Financial leverage is the use of borrowed money (debt) to finance the purchase of assets with the expectation that the income or capital gain from the new asset will exceed the cost of borrowing. In most cases, the debt provider will limit how much risk it is ready to take and indicate a limit on the extent of the leverage it will allow. In the case of asset-backed lending, the financial provider uses the assets as collateral until the borrower repays the loan. In the case of a cash flow loan, the general creditworthiness of the company is used to back the loan. The concept of leverage is common in the business world. It is mostly used to boost the returns on equity capital of a company, especially when the business is unable to increase its operating efficiency and returns on total investment. Because earnings on borrowing are higher than the interest payable on debt, the company's total earnings will increase, ultimately boosting stockholders' profits.

Leverage and Capital Costs

The debt to equity ratio plays a role in the working average cost of capital (WACC). The overall interest on debt represents the break-even point that must be obtained to profitability in a given venture. Thus, WACC is essentially the average interest an organization owes on the capital it has borrowed for leverage. Let's say equity represents 60% of borrowed capital, and debt is 40%. This results in a financial leverage calculation of 40/60, or 0.6667. The organization owes 10% on all equity and 5% on all debt. That means that the weighted average cost of capital is (.4)(5) + (.6)(10) - or 8%. For every $10,000 borrowed, this organization will owe $800 in interest. Profit must be higher than 8% on the project to offset the cost of interest and justify this leverage.

Benefits of Financial Leverage

Leverage provides the following benefits for companies:
  • Leverage is an essential tool a company's management can use to make the best financing and investment decisions.
  • It provides a variety of financing sources by which the firm can achieve its target earnings.
  • Leverage is also an essential technique in investing as it helps companies set a threshold for the expansion of business operations. For example, it can be used to recommend restrictions on business expansion once the projected return on additional investment is lower than the cost of debt.
By borrowing funds, the firm incurs a debt that must be paid. But, this debt is paid in small installments over a relatively long period of time. This frees funds for more immediate use in the stock market. For example, suppose a company can afford a new factory but will be left with negligible free cash. In that case, it may be better to finance the factory and spend the cash on hand on inputs, labor, or even hold a significant portion as a reserve against unforeseen circumstances.

The Risk of Financial Leverage

The most obvious and apparent risk of leverage is that if price changes unexpectedly, the leveraged position can lead to severe losses. For example, imagine a hedge fund seeded by $50 worth of investor money. The hedge fund borrows another $50 and buys an asset worth $100, leading to a leverage ratio of 2:1. For the investor, this is neither good nor bad -- until the asset price changes. If the asset price goes up 10 percent, the investor earns $10 on $50 of capital, a net gain of 20 percent, and is very pleased with the increased gains from the leverage. However, if the asset price crashes unexpectedly, say by 30 percent, the investor loses $30 on $50 of capital, suffering a 60 percent loss. In other words, the effect of leverage is to increase the volatility of returns and increase the effects of a price change on the asset to the bottom line while increasing the chance for profit as well.