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EIX vs. WTRG: Edison vs. Essential Utilities Stock Comparison

How do Edison (EIX) 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

Edison (EIX) and Essential Utilities (WTRG) both fall under the Utilities industry group, but EIX is classified in Electric Utilities while WTRG is classified in Water Utilities.

Company profile comparison for Edison (EIX) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
Profile ItemEIXWTRG
NameEdison InternationalEssential Utilities Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorUtilitiesUtilities
GICS Industry GroupUtilitiesUtilities
GICS IndustryElectric UtilitiesWater Utilities
GICS Sub-IndustryElectric UtilitiesWater Utilities
Market Capitalization22.84 billion USD13.02 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMay 3, 1973March 17, 1980
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

EIX
WTRG
GSPC
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Edison (EIX) 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 Edison (EIX) and Essential Utilities (WTRG). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Edison (EIX) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricEIXWTRG
Total Return (1Y)11.26%19.07%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)3.52%13.95%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)3.43%2.39%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

EIX
WTRG
GSPC
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Edison (EIX) 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 Edison (EIX) and Essential Utilities (WTRG). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Edison (EIX) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricEIXWTRG
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)36.47%22.14%
Beta (5Y)0.550.61
Max Drawdown (5Y)-43.88%-36.53%
Avg. Volume (3M)5.15M2.38M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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EIX 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 Edison (EIX) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricEIXWTRG
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.190.67
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.231.08

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Edison (EIX) at 18.76% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 8.13%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

EIX

Utilities industry group

18.76%

EIX
18.76%
Max
17.99%
Q3
12.01%
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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Edison (EIX) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their ROE against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

For every dollar of sales, both Edison (EIX) at 19.60% 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.

EIX

Utilities industry group

19.60%

Max
28.78%
EIX
19.60%
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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Edison (EIX) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their net margin against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 38.94% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Edison (EIX) at 21.53%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

EIX

Utilities industry group

21.53%

Max
53.83%
Q3
31.12%
Median
23.62%
EIX
21.53%
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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Edison (EIX) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their operating margin against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Edison (EIX) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricEIXWTRG
ROE (TTM)18.76%8.13%
ROA (TTM)3.49%3.00%
Net Margin (TTM)19.60%21.79%
Operating Margin (TTM)21.53%38.94%
Gross Margin (TTM)59.44%57.07%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 18.62% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Edison (EIX) at 9.76% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for WTRG.

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

EPS Growth

Edison (EIX) at 248.94% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 1.38%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

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

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Edison (EIX) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricEIXWTRG
Revenue Growth (YoY)9.76%18.62%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)3.90%2.65%
EPS Growth (YoY)248.94%1.38%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)93.27%7.52%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Edison (EIX) at 0.77 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.

EIX

Utilities industry group

0.77

Max
1.90
Q3
1.17
Median
0.88
EIX
0.77
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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Edison (EIX) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their current ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 1.23 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Edison (EIX) at 2.20 uses more debt funding than most peers.

EIX

Utilities industry group

2.20

Max
2.63
EIX
2.20
Q3
1.77
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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Edison (EIX) 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 Edison (EIX) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricEIXWTRG
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.770.40
Debt / Equity (MRQ)2.201.23
Net Debt / EBITDA5.266.30

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Edison (EIX) at 5.76% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 3.01% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, EIX the richer one.

EIX

Utilities industry group

5.76%

Max
6.66%
EIX
5.76%
Q3
3.58%
Median
2.85%
Q1
0.66%
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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Edison (EIX) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Edison (EIX) at 37.30% 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.

EIX

Utilities industry group

37.30%

Max
113.04%
Q3
68.72%
Median
56.38%
EIX
37.30%
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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Edison (EIX) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Edison (EIX) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricEIXWTRG
Dividend Yield (TTM)5.76%3.01%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)37.30%69.42%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Edison (EIX) at 6.31 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 22.73 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for EIX, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

EIX

Utilities industry group

6.31

Max
31.22
Q3
23.30
Median
19.64
Q1
15.17
EIX
6.31
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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Edison (EIX) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Edison (EIX) at 1.23 looks cheap on sales in the lower P/S ratio quartile, while Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 5.01 looks rich in the upper quartile — a clear gap in price per dollar of revenue.

EIX

Utilities industry group

1.23

Max
6.35
Q3
3.63
Median
2.63
Q1
1.52
EIX
1.23
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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Edison (EIX) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Edison (EIX) at 1.28 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Essential Utilities (WTRG) at 1.83 is valued near its industry’s middle — EIX is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.

EIX

Utilities industry group

1.28

Max
3.12
Q3
2.21
Median
1.83
Q1
1.46
EIX
1.28
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
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Edison (EIX) vs. Essential Utilities (WTRG): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Edison (EIX) and Essential Utilities (WTRG)
MetricEIXWTRG
P/E Ratio (TTM)6.3122.73
P/S Ratio (TTM)1.235.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)1.281.83
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)-0.77%-5.45%