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Essential UtilitiesMEX:WTRG 72 Forward PE Ratio is 18.91 as of Aug. 13, 2026. GuruFocus rates MEX:WTRG with a GF Score™ of 72/100. The stock has 9 warning signs investors should review. Among 275 Utilities - Regulated companies, Essential Utilities ranks worse than 68% on this metric.
Essential Utilities (MEX:WTRG) Forward PE Ratio Explanation
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
Essential Utilities Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
Essential Utilities Forward PE Ratio Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Essential Utilities's Forward PE Ratio can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Essential Utilities Forward PE Ratio Chart
Essential Utilities Annual Data
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Forward PE Ratio
Essential Utilities Quarterly Data
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MEX:WTRG vs AWR, CWT, HTO: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the Utilities - Regulated Water subindustry, Essential Utilities's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Essential Utilities Forward PE Ratio vs Utilities - Regulated Industry
For the Utilities - Regulated industry and Utilities sector, Essential Utilities's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Essential Utilities's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
Essential Utilities (MEX:WTRG) has a Forward PE Ratio of 18.91 as of Aug. 13, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Essential Utilities and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Essential Utilities ranks #187 out of 275 companies in the Utilities - Regulated industry, placing it in the top 68%.
Is Essential Utilities' Forward PE Ratio too high?
Essential Utilities' current Forward PE Ratio is 18.91. The Utilities - Regulated industry median Forward PE Ratio is 14.37. Essential Utilities' value of 18.91 is 31.6% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Essential Utilities ranks #187 out of 275 companies in the Utilities - Regulated industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Essential Utilities has a GF Score™ of 72/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Essential Utilities' Forward PE Ratio compare to AWR and CWT?
According to the Utilities - Regulated industry distribution chart, Essential Utilities ranks #187 out of 275 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This places Essential Utilities in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 14.37. Essential Utilities' value of 18.91 is 31.6% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for an Utilities - Regulated company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among Utilities - Regulated companies is 14.37, based on 275 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Essential Utilities's current Forward PE Ratio of 18.91 is 31.6% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Essential Utilities and its competitors. For the Utilities - Regulated industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 14.37 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Essential Utilities's current Forward PE Ratio is 18.91. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Essential Utilities stock overvalued right now?
Essential Utilities (MEX:WTRG) has a current Forward PE Ratio of 18.91. The current Forward PE Ratio is 18.91 and 31.6% above the Utilities - Regulated industry median of 14.37. Essential Utilities' overall GF Score™ is 72/100 with 9 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Essential Utilities (MEX:WTRG), the current Forward PE Ratio is 18.91 as of Aug. 13, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Essential Utilities is a Pennsylvania-based holding company for US water, wastewater, and natural gas distribution utilities. The company's water business serves 3 million people in eight states. Its largest service territory is in Pennsylvania, primarily suburban Philadelphia. Its Peoples subsidiary serves more than 740,000 gas distribution customers in Pennsylvania and Kentucky. It completed the sale of its West Virginia gas utility and the bulk of its nonregulated assets in 2024. Essential shareholders would own a 31% stake in American Water Works if the proposed all-stock merger closes in 2027.
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