Essential Utilities (WTRG) Operating Margin (2009 - 2026)
Essential Utilities (WTRG) posted quarterly Operating Margin of 36.05% for Q1 2026, down 720.0% year-over-year from 5.81% in Q1 2025, and up 11.02% quarter-over-quarter from 32.47% in Q4 2025.
Essential Utilities (WTRG) Operating Margin (2009 - 2026) Analysis & Trends
Essential Utilities (WTRG) has reported Operating Margin for 18 consecutive years, with 36.05% the latest figure, recorded in Q1 2026.
- In Q1 2026, Operating Margin fell 720.0% year-over-year to 36.05%; the TTM figure through Mar 2026 stood at 34.97% (down 338.0% YoY), while the FY2025 annual figure was 37.22%, up 90.0% from the prior year.
- Operating Margin grew to 36.05% in Q1 2026 per WTRG's latest filing, from 32.47% in the prior quarter.
- Across five years, Operating Margin topped out at 43.25% in Q1 2025 and bottomed at 24.09% in Q4 2022.
- Historically, Operating Margin has averaged 34.13% across 5 years, with a median of 35.55% in 2023.
- Annual changes were most pronounced in 2022 — Operating Margin tumbled 726 bps — and 2023, when it jumped 1219 bps.
- Essential Utilities' Operating Margin stood at 24.09% in 2022, then surged by 51 bps to 36.29% in 2023, then increased by 3 bps to 37.5% in 2024, then dropped by 13 bps to 32.47% in 2025, then advanced by 11 bps to 36.05% in 2026.
- Business Quant data shows WTRG's Operating Margin at 36.05% in Q1 2026, 32.47% in Q4 2025, and 35.59% in Q3 2025.
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Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | Operating Margin (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Water Works Company | 26.51 Bn | 26.32 Bn | - | 40.00% |
| 2 | Essential Utilities | 11.31 Bn | 11.30 Bn | - | 36.41% |
| 3 | American States Water | 3.36 Bn | 3.34 Bn | 278.03 Mn | 14.81% |
| 4 | California Water Service | 3.01 Bn | 2.92 Bn | 263.45 Mn | 22.97% |
| 5 | H2O America | 2.59 Bn | 2.48 Bn | 197.11 Mn | 20.31% |
| 6 | Middlesex Water | 1.09 Bn | 1.09 Bn | - | 32.35% |
| 7 | Consolidated Water | 516.16 Mn | 389.83 Mn | 10.92 Mn | 11.48% |
| 8 | York Water | 516.05 Mn | 515.50 Mn | - | 41.71% |
| 9 | Artesian Resources | 361.28 Mn | 357.03 Mn | 26.56 Mn | 22.60% |
| 10 | Pure Cycle | 274.54 Mn | 266.10 Mn | 4.29 Mn | 25.71% |
Historic Data
Download Data| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | 36.41% |
| Mar 31, 2026 | 36.05% |
| Dec 31, 2025 | 32.47% |
| Sep 30, 2025 | 35.59% |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 35.98% |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 43.25% |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 37.50% |
| Sep 30, 2024 | 35.63% |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 33.44% |
| Mar 31, 2024 | 37.69% |
| Dec 31, 2023 | 36.29% |
| Sep 30, 2023 | 33.41% |
| Jun 30, 2023 | 35.55% |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 31.04% |
| Dec 31, 2022 | 24.09% |
| Sep 30, 2022 | 28.96% |
| Jun 30, 2022 | 30.69% |
| Mar 31, 2022 | 32.55% |
| Dec 31, 2021 | 26.06% |
| Sep 30, 2021 | 28.04% |