Essential Utilities Declares $0.3426 Quarterly Dividend, Extends 80-Year Streak
Essential Utilities, Inc., a regulated water and natural gas utility, declared a $0.3426 quarterly cash dividend payable March 2, 2026. The company has now paid consecutive quarterly dividends for over 80 years.
Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE: WTRG), a regulated water and natural gas utility, declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.3426 per share of common stock, payable March 2, 2026, to shareholders of record on February 9, 2026. The company has maintained consecutive quarterly cash dividend payments for more than 80 years. Read more dividend announcements.
The board separately declared a second quarterly dividend of $0.3426 per share payable June 1, 2026, to shareholders of record on May 12, 2026.
| Dividend Details | March Payment | June Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Amount per Share | $0.3426 | $0.3426 |
| Record Date | February 9, 2026 | May 12, 2026 |
| Payment Date | March 2, 2026 | June 1, 2026 |
Fourth Quarter Financial Performance
Essential reported total revenues of $690.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2025, with operations and maintenance expenses of $200.2 million compared to $163.5 million in the prior-year quarter. The increases were driven by purchased gas costs, rate adjustments across water and gas operations, and gas volume.
The regulated water segment generated revenues of $329.4 million for the quarter, up 8.0% from $305.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. Water and wastewater rate increases were the primary revenue driver. Operations and maintenance expenses for the water segment rose to $109.8 million from $98.5 million, reflecting higher production costs including purchased power and chemicals.
The regulated natural gas segment posted revenues of $361.3 million, a 23.0% increase from $293.7 million in the prior-year quarter. Purchased gas costs totaled $134.4 million compared to $91.4 million in 2024. Operations and maintenance expenses climbed to $74.7 million from $62.5 million, driven by the universal service rider program in Pennsylvania and employee-related costs.
Rate Activity and Capital Investment
In 2025, the company's regulated water segment secured rate awards and infrastructure surcharges in North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania designed to increase annual revenues by $92.6 million. The natural gas segment received rate increases in Kentucky and Pennsylvania totaling $8.9 million.
In 2026 to date, the water segment obtained rate awards in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio worth $4.6 million in annual revenues, while the gas segment added $7.8 million through base rate cases and infrastructure surcharges in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
Essential has rate cases and infrastructure surcharges pending in Ohio, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia for the water and wastewater segment, seeking an estimated $101.9 million in incremental annual revenues.
The company invested over $1.4 billion in 2025 to improve its regulated water and natural gas infrastructure systems and enhance customer service.
Financial Position
As of December 31, 2025, Essential's weighted average cost of fixed-rate long-term debt stood at 4.10%. The company maintained $667.5 million in available capacity on its credit lines.