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Side-by-side financial comparison of Essex Property Trust (ESS) and Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Essential Utilities, Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($699.1M vs $479.6M, roughly 1.5× Essex Property Trust). Essential Utilities, Inc. runs the higher net margin — 19.0% vs 17.9%, a 1.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Essential Utilities, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (15.7% vs 5.5%). Over the past eight quarters, Essential Utilities, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (6.9% CAGR vs 6.0%).

Essex Property Trust is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that invests in apartments in California and in the Seattle metropolitan area.

Essential Utilities is an American utility company that has stakes in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. The company provides drinking water and wastewater treatment infrastructure and natural gas. Essential Utilities is the publicly traded ($WTRG) parent company that oversees the continued business of Aqua America and Peoples Natural Gas, who both continue to do business under their original names.

ESS vs WTRG — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
WTRG
WTRG
1.5× larger
WTRG
$699.1M
$479.6M
ESS
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
WTRG
WTRG
+10.1% gap
WTRG
15.7%
5.5%
ESS
Higher net margin
WTRG
WTRG
1.1% more per $
WTRG
19.0%
17.9%
ESS
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
WTRG
WTRG
Annualised
WTRG
6.9%
6.0%
ESS

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Revenue
$479.6M
$699.1M
Net Profit
$85.7M
$132.7M
Gross Margin
70.0%
Operating Margin
31.7%
32.5%
Net Margin
17.9%
19.0%
Revenue YoY
5.5%
15.7%
Net Profit YoY
-71.6%
-28.2%
EPS (diluted)
$1.24
$0.46

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Q4 25
$479.6M
$699.1M
Q3 25
$473.3M
$477.0M
Q2 25
$469.8M
$514.9M
Q1 25
$464.6M
$783.6M
Q4 24
$454.5M
$604.4M
Q3 24
$450.7M
$435.3M
Q2 24
$442.4M
$434.4M
Q1 24
$426.9M
$612.1M
Net Profit
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Q4 25
$85.7M
$132.7M
Q3 25
$172.7M
$92.1M
Q2 25
$231.5M
$107.8M
Q1 25
$212.8M
$283.8M
Q4 24
$301.7M
$184.8M
Q3 24
$125.5M
$69.4M
Q2 24
$99.0M
$75.4M
Q1 24
$285.1M
$265.8M
Gross Margin
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Q4 25
70.0%
Q3 25
69.2%
Q2 25
70.7%
Q1 25
69.6%
Q4 24
70.0%
Q3 24
69.5%
Q2 24
70.8%
Q1 24
69.7%
Operating Margin
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Q4 25
31.7%
32.5%
Q3 25
44.5%
35.6%
Q2 25
59.5%
36.0%
Q1 25
55.3%
43.2%
Q4 24
67.0%
37.5%
Q3 24
28.6%
35.6%
Q2 24
31.1%
33.4%
Q1 24
31.0%
37.7%
Net Margin
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Q4 25
17.9%
19.0%
Q3 25
36.5%
19.3%
Q2 25
49.3%
20.9%
Q1 25
45.8%
36.2%
Q4 24
66.4%
30.6%
Q3 24
27.8%
15.9%
Q2 24
22.4%
17.4%
Q1 24
66.8%
43.4%
EPS (diluted)
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Q4 25
$1.24
$0.46
Q3 25
$2.56
$0.33
Q2 25
$3.44
$0.38
Q1 25
$3.16
$1.03
Q4 24
$4.00
$0.67
Q3 24
$1.84
$0.25
Q2 24
$1.45
$0.28
Q1 24
$4.25
$0.97

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$76.2M
$34.8M
Total DebtLower is stronger
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$5.5B
$6.9B
Total Assets
$13.2B
$19.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Q4 25
$76.2M
$34.8M
Q3 25
$66.0M
$6.4M
Q2 25
$58.7M
$25.1M
Q1 25
$98.7M
$20.8M
Q4 24
$66.8M
$9.2M
Q3 24
$71.3M
$8.4M
Q2 24
$55.2M
$18.8M
Q1 24
$499.0M
$35.2M
Total Debt
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Q4 25
Q3 25
$6.4B
Q2 25
$6.4B
Q1 25
$6.8B
Q4 24
Q3 24
$6.4B
Q2 24
$6.2B
Q1 24
$6.6B
Stockholders' Equity
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Q4 25
$5.5B
$6.9B
Q3 25
$5.6B
$6.8B
Q2 25
$5.6B
$6.7B
Q1 25
$5.6B
$6.5B
Q4 24
$5.5B
$6.2B
Q3 24
$5.4B
$6.2B
Q2 24
$5.5B
$6.2B
Q1 24
$5.5B
$6.1B
Total Assets
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Q4 25
$13.2B
$19.5B
Q3 25
$13.2B
$18.9B
Q2 25
$13.2B
$18.6B
Q1 25
$13.2B
$18.3B
Q4 24
$12.9B
$18.0B
Q3 24
$12.6B
$17.6B
Q2 24
$12.5B
$17.3B
Q1 24
$12.9B
$17.1B
Debt / Equity
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Q4 25
Q3 25
1.15×
Q2 25
1.14×
Q1 25
1.22×
Q4 24
Q3 24
1.18×
Q2 24
1.13×
Q1 24
1.19×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$1.1B
$206.1M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
12.53×
1.55×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Q4 25
$1.1B
$206.1M
Q3 25
$342.6M
$232.5M
Q2 25
$216.1M
$272.3M
Q1 25
$281.5M
$299.5M
Q4 24
$1.1B
$147.8M
Q3 24
$316.2M
$196.1M
Q2 24
$218.9M
$185.7M
Q1 24
$314.9M
$240.7M
Cash Conversion
ESS
ESS
WTRG
WTRG
Q4 25
12.53×
1.55×
Q3 25
1.98×
2.53×
Q2 25
0.93×
2.53×
Q1 25
1.32×
1.06×
Q4 24
3.54×
0.80×
Q3 24
2.52×
2.83×
Q2 24
2.21×
2.46×
Q1 24
1.10×
0.91×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ESS
ESS

Segment breakdown not available.

WTRG
WTRG

Natural Gas$371.7M53%
Water$269.4M39%
Wastewater$57.2M8%
Other$2.7M0%

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