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AEE vs. WTRG: Ameren vs. Essential Utilities Stock Comparison

How do Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG) both fall under the Utilities industry group, but AEE is classified in Multi-Utilities while WTRG is classified in Water Utilities.

Company profile comparison for Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
Profile ItemAEEWTRG
NameAmeren CorporationEssential Utilities Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorUtilitiesUtilities
GICS Industry GroupUtilitiesUtilities
GICS IndustryMulti-UtilitiesWater Utilities
GICS Sub-IndustryMulti-UtilitiesWater Utilities
Market Capitalization31.24 billion USD13.02 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateJanuary 2, 1998March 17, 1980
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AEE
WTRG
GSPC
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Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricAEEWTRG
Total Return (1Y)11.92%19.07%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)17.94%13.95%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)9.71%2.39%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

AEE
WTRG
GSPC
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Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricAEEWTRG
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)17.76%22.14%
Beta (5Y)0.400.61
Max Drawdown (5Y)-27.46%-36.53%
Avg. Volume (3M)1.74M2.38M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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AEE and WTRG are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricAEEWTRG
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.430.67
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.621.08

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Ameren (AEE) at 11.78% and Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 8.13% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

AEE

Utilities industry group

11.78%

Max
17.99%
Q3
12.01%
AEE
11.78%
Median
9.44%
Q1
7.56%
Min
2.17%

WTRG

Utilities industry group

8.13%

Max
17.99%
Q3
12.01%
Median
9.44%
WTRG
8.13%
Q1
7.56%
Min
2.17%
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Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their ROE against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both Ameren (AEE) at 18.59% and Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 21.79% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.

AEE

Utilities industry group

18.59%

Max
28.78%
AEE
18.59%
Q3
17.30%
Median
12.73%
Q1
9.18%
Min
-0.20%

WTRG

Utilities industry group

21.79%

Max
28.78%
WTRG
21.79%
Q3
17.30%
Median
12.73%
Q1
9.18%
Min
-0.20%
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Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their net margin against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Ameren (AEE) at 31.23% and Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 38.94% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

AEE

Utilities industry group

31.23%

Max
53.83%
AEE
31.23%
Q3
31.12%
Median
23.62%
Q1
15.45%
Min
-4.90%

WTRG

Utilities industry group

38.94%

Max
53.83%
WTRG
38.94%
Q3
31.12%
Median
23.62%
Q1
15.45%
Min
-4.90%
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Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their operating margin against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricAEEWTRG
ROE (TTM)11.78%8.13%
ROA (TTM)3.12%3.00%
Net Margin (TTM)18.59%21.79%
Operating Margin (TTM)31.23%38.94%
Gross Margin (TTM)52.47%57.07%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Ameren (AEE) at 15.43% and Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 18.62% sit in the top peer quartile for revenue growth, so each is growing its top line faster than typical industry peers.

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Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Ameren (AEE) at 21.04% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 1.38% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for AEE.

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Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricAEEWTRG
Revenue Growth (YoY)15.43%18.62%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)3.41%2.65%
EPS Growth (YoY)21.04%1.38%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)8.92%7.52%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Ameren (AEE) at 0.74 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 0.40 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for WTRG.

AEE

Utilities industry group

0.74

Max
1.90
Q3
1.17
Median
0.88
AEE
0.74
Q1
0.66
Min
0.29

WTRG

Utilities industry group

0.40

Max
1.90
Q3
1.17
Median
0.88
Q1
0.66
WTRG
0.40
Min
0.29
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Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their current ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Ameren (AEE) at 1.57 and Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 1.23 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

AEE

Utilities industry group

1.57

Max
2.63
Q3
1.77
AEE
1.57
Median
1.35
Q1
0.84
Min
0.00

WTRG

Utilities industry group

1.23

Max
2.63
Q3
1.77
Median
1.35
WTRG
1.23
Q1
0.84
Min
0.00
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Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricAEEWTRG
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.740.40
Debt / Equity (MRQ)1.571.23
Net Debt / EBITDA5.556.30

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 3.01% pays a yield in its industry’s typical range, while Ameren (AEE) at 0.63% falls in the bottom quartile of its peers.

AEE

Utilities industry group

0.63%

Max
6.66%
Q3
3.58%
Median
2.85%
Q1
0.66%
AEE
0.63%
Min
0.00%

WTRG

Utilities industry group

3.01%

Max
6.66%
Q3
3.58%
WTRG
3.01%
Median
2.85%
Q1
0.66%
Min
0.00%
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Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Ameren (AEE) at 51.48% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 69.42% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

AEE

Utilities industry group

51.48%

Max
113.04%
Q3
68.72%
Median
56.38%
AEE
51.48%
Q1
32.38%
Min
0.00%

WTRG

Utilities industry group

69.42%

Max
113.04%
WTRG
69.42%
Q3
68.72%
Median
56.38%
Q1
32.38%
Min
0.00%
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Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricAEEWTRG
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.63%3.01%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)51.48%69.42%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Ameren (AEE) at 19.63 and Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 22.73 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

AEE

Utilities industry group

19.63

Max
31.22
Q3
23.30
Median
19.64
AEE
19.63
Q1
15.17
Min
3.34

WTRG

Utilities industry group

22.73

Max
31.22
Q3
23.30
WTRG
22.73
Median
19.64
Q1
15.17
Min
3.34
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Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both Ameren (AEE) at 3.63 and Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 5.01 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.

AEE

Utilities industry group

3.63

Max
6.35
AEE
3.63
Q3
3.63
Median
2.63
Q1
1.52
Min
0.00

WTRG

Utilities industry group

5.01

Max
6.35
WTRG
5.01
Q3
3.63
Median
2.63
Q1
1.52
Min
0.00
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Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both Ameren (AEE) at 2.20 and Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 1.83 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

AEE

Utilities industry group

2.20

Max
3.12
Q3
2.21
AEE
2.20
Median
1.83
Q1
1.46
Min
0.34

WTRG

Utilities industry group

1.83

Max
3.12
Q3
2.21
Median
1.83
WTRG
1.83
Q1
1.46
Min
0.34
Loading chart…
Ameren (AEE) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Ameren (AEE) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricAEEWTRG
P/E Ratio (TTM)19.6322.73
P/S Ratio (TTM)3.635.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)2.201.83
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)-8.06%-5.45%