Latest news with #MSEX
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Middlesex Water (MSEX) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
Wall Street expects a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when Middlesex Water (MSEX) reports results for the quarter ended June 2025. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates. The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 31. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower. While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise. Zacks Consensus Estimate This water utility is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.68 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +15.3%. Revenues are expected to be $52 million, up 5.8% from the year-ago quarter. Estimate Revisions Trend The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period. Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Earnings Whisper Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction). The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only. A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP. Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell). How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Middlesex Water? For Middlesex Water, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -2.94%. On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #4. So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Middlesex Water will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue? Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number. For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Middlesex Water would post earnings of $0.55 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.53, delivering a surprise of -3.64%. Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates two times. Bottom Line An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss. That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Middlesex Water doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release. Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Middlesex Water Company (MSEX) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Middlesex Water (MSEX) is a Great Dividend Stock Right Now
Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments. While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases. Based in Iselin, Middlesex Water (MSEX) is in the Utilities sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 8.44%. The water utility is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.34 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.38%. This compares to the Utility - Water Supply industry's yield of 2.53% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.54%. In terms of dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $1.36 is up 3.4% from last year. Middlesex Water has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis over the last 5 years for an average annual increase of 6.15%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Middlesex Water's current payout ratio is 56%. This means it paid out 56% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend. MSEX is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 is $2.53 per share, which represents a year-over-year growth rate of 2.43%. Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. However, not all companies offer a quarterly payout. High-growth firms or tech start-ups, for example, rarely provide their shareholders a dividend, while larger, more established companies that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options. Income investors have to be mindful of the fact that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle during periods of rising interest rates. With that in mind, MSEX is a compelling investment opportunity. Not only is it a strong dividend play, but the stock currently sits at a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold). Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Middlesex Water Company (MSEX) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reasons to Add Middlesex Water Stock to Your Portfolio Right Away
Middlesex Water Company's MSEX strategic investments should help support future growth and expand its customer base. The company benefits from acquisitions by expanding its operations. Given its growth opportunities, Middlesex Water makes for a solid investment option in the utility focus on the factors that make this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company a strong investment option at the moment. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings per share (EPS) has moved up 4.5% in the past 90 days to $ Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 revenues is pinned at $200 million, implying a year-over-year increase of 4.2%.MSEX's long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 6.1%. The company delivered an average earnings surprise of 11% for the trailing four quarters. Middlesex Water's total debt to capital is 44.34%, better than the industry's average of 56.04%.The time-to-interest earned ratio at the end of the first quarter of 2025 was 4.7. The ratio, being greater than one, reflects the company's ability to meet future interest obligations without difficulties. Middlesex Water been consistently paying dividends and increasing its shareholders' value. The company has raised its dividend for 52 consecutive years. Currently, its quarterly dividend is 34 cents per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $1.36. Its current dividend yield is 2.37%, better than the Zacks S&P 500 composite's 1.25%. Middlesex Water plans to invest approximately $387 million in its water and wastewater infrastructure over the next three years. This investment is aimed at upgrading and enhancing the reliability of the company's existing infrastructure to better serve its company aims to expand its operations through acquisitions. In April 2025, MSEX's unit Tidewater Utilities, Inc. acquired the water assets of the Town of Ocean View ('TOV') in Sussex County, DE, for $4.6 million. The acquisition of TOV's assets will expand Middlesex Water's operation in Delaware and add 900 customers to its existing base. Year to date, the company has returned 9.1% compared with the sector's 8.1% growth. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research A few other top-ranked stocks from the same sector are Artesian Resources ARTNA, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present, and Evergy EVRG and Exelon Corporation EXC, both holding a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks Zacks Consensus Estimate for ARTNA's 2025 EPS is pegged at $2.16, implying a year-over-year improvement of 9.1%. The company delivered an average earnings surprise of 18.6% in the last four long-term earnings growth rate is 5.7%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS is pegged at $4.03, indicating a year-over-year improvement of 5.8%.EXC's long-term earnings growth rate is 6.42%. The company delivered an average earnings surprise of 10.1% for the trailing four quarters. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Exelon Corporation (EXC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Middlesex Water Company (MSEX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Artesian Resources Corporation (ARTNA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Evergy Inc. (EVRG) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
San Francisco Chronicle
01-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Middlesex Water: Q1 Earnings Snapshot
ISELIN, N.J. (AP) — ISELIN, N.J. (AP) — Middlesex Water Co. (MSEX) on Thursday reported profit of $9.5 million in its first quarter. On a per-share basis, the Iselin, New Jersey-based company said it had profit of 53 cents. The water utility posted revenue of $44.3 million in the period. _____
