In fiscal 2025, which ended Dec 31, 2025, Essential Utilities, Inc. generated $1.0 billion of cash from operations, up 31.2% from the year before. The company returned $373.8 million in dividends and $2.3 million in share buybacks to shareholders.
USD in millions, except per-share amounts and ratios. The percent under a figure is the change from the year before.
| Line |
FY 2026
Sep 30, 2026
|
FY 2025
Dec 31, 2025
|
FY 2024
Dec 31, 2024
|
FY 2023
Dec 31, 2023
|
FY 2022
Dec 31, 2022
|
FY 2021
Dec 31, 2021
|
FY 2020
Dec 31, 2020
|
FY 2019
Dec 31, 2019
|
FY 2018
Dec 31, 2018
|
FY 2017
Dec 31, 2017
|
FY 2016
Dec 31, 2016
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating | |||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization |
446
+9.7%
|
417
+13.0%
|
370
+7.5%
|
344
+7.0%
|
321
+7.8%
|
298
+15.9%
|
257
+64.3%
|
156
+6.7%
|
147
+7.3%
|
137
+2.8%
|
133
+3.3%
|
| Stock-based compensation |
11
-31.7%
|
13
+31.4%
|
10
-13.6%
|
11
-7.2%
|
12
+21.1%
|
10
+23.5%
|
8
+10.7%
|
7
-2.6%
|
8
+19.3%
|
6
+17.7%
|
5
-8.0%
|
| Operating cash flow |
1,024
+7.6%
|
1,010
+31.2%
|
770
-17.5%
|
934
+55.5%
|
600
-6.9%
|
645
+26.9%
|
508
+50.1%
|
339
-8.1%
|
369
-3.4%
|
381
-3.7%
|
396
+6.8%
|
| Investing | |||||||||||
| Capital expenditures |
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
496
+3.7%
|
478
+24.8%
|
383
+5.0%
|
| Investing cash flow |
-1,551
-6.3%
|
-1,511
-29.9%
|
-1,163
+4.8%
|
-1,222
-3.7%
|
-1,178
-11.6%
|
-1,056
+75.6%
|
-4,334
-616.8%
|
-605
+5.5%
|
-640
-33.2%
|
-480
-25.4%
|
-383
+2.8%
|
| Financing | |||||||||||
| Debt issued |
—
|
—
|
1,650
+36.6%
|
1,208
-26.7%
|
1,647
+50.4%
|
1,095
-67.5%
|
3,367
+134.7%
|
1,435
+7.7%
|
1,332
+125.3%
|
591
+17.4%
|
504
-10.2%
|
| Debt repaid |
—
|
—
|
1,027
+17.2%
|
876
-10.3%
|
977
+27.0%
|
770
-57.7%
|
1,821
+73.6%
|
1,048
+14.7%
|
914
+154.6%
|
359
-3.8%
|
373
-6.8%
|
| Dividends paid |
393
+7.4%
|
374
+7.9%
|
346
+9.3%
|
317
+9.8%
|
289
+11.6%
|
259
+11.2%
|
233
+23.4%
|
189
+25.1%
|
151
+7.2%
|
141
+7.4%
|
131
+8.0%
|
| Stock buybacks |
3
-27.7%
|
2
-43.6%
|
4
+1.7%
|
4
+234.0%
|
1
-63.8%
|
3
-24.6%
|
4
+133.8%
|
2
-26.9%
|
3
+17.9%
|
2
-28.4%
|
3
-88.0%
|
| Financing cash flow |
530
+5.0%
|
526
+32.3%
|
397
+41.3%
|
281
-51.4%
|
579
+38.8%
|
417
-78.7%
|
1,962
-8.0%
|
2,131
+687.3%
|
271
+172.1%
|
100
+901.2%
|
-12
-155.5%
|
| Change in cash | |||||||||||
| Net change in cash |
3
+243.4%
|
26
+463.9%
|
5
+167.0%
|
-7
-916.6%
|
1
-85.5%
|
6
+100.3%
|
-1,864
-199.9%
|
1,865
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
| Free cash flow |
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
-127
-31.5%
|
-97
-835.0%
|
13
+115.7%
|
| Per share | |||||||||||
| Free cash flow per share |
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
-0.71
-31.3%
|
-0.54
-833.6%
|
0.07
+115.3%
|
| Dividend per share |
—
|
0.33
|
—
|
0.31
+7.0%
|
0.29
-72.3%
|
1.04
+7.0%
|
0.97
+7.0%
|
0.91
+7.0%
|
0.85
+7.0%
|
0.79
+7.2%
|
0.74
+7.7%
|
| Shareholder returns | |||||||||||
| Returned to shareholders |
396
|
376
|
350
|
321
|
290
|
262
|
237
|
190
|
153
|
143
|
134
|
| Share of free cash flow |
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
1,017.32%
|
| Ratios | |||||||||||
| Free cash flow margin |
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
-15.18%
|
-11.95%
|
1.61%
|
| Capital expenditures to revenue |
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
59.15%
|
59.06%
|
46.71%
|
| Stock-based compensation to revenue |
0.43%
|
0.52%
|
0.47%
|
0.55%
|
0.53%
|
0.54%
|
0.56%
|
0.83%
|
0.90%
|
0.78%
|
0.66%
|
| Cash conversion |
1.81x
|
1.64x
|
1.29x
|
1.87x
|
1.29x
|
1.49x
|
1.78x
|
1.51x
|
1.92x
|
1.59x
|
1.69x
|
How these figures are calculated
Annual columns are full-year amounts from the annual report (Form 10-K, 20-F, or 40-F). If a company restates a year, the latest filed number is shown. USD in millions, except per-share amounts and ratios. Capital expenditures, debt repaid, dividends, and buybacks are positive amounts. Investing and financing cash flow keep the filing sign, so an outflow is negative. Free cash flow is operating cash flow minus capital expenditures. The first column is the trailing twelve months through the latest quarter. Returned to shareholders is dividends plus buybacks. Free cash flow margin, capital expenditures, and stock-based compensation are divided by revenue. Cash conversion is operating cash flow divided by net income. More on our methodology.
Company profile
- Industry
- Water Supply (SIC 4941)
- Listed as
- WTRG (NYSE)
- Fiscal year ends
- December 31
- Incorporated in
- PA
- Headquarters
- Bryn Mawr, PA
- SEC filer status
- Large accelerated filer
- SEC CIK
- 78128
- Former names
- AQUA AMERICA INC (until Jan 16, 2020); PHILADELPHIA SUBURBAN CORP (until Jan 16, 2004)
Other Water Supply companies
Source: SEC EDGAR filings. This is company-reported data, not investment advice.