Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.03 EPS

Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The utilities provider reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.49 by ($0.03), FiscalAI reports. Middlesex Water had a return on equity of 9.25% and a net margin of 21.99%.The firm had revenue of $46.98 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $46.91 million.

Middlesex Water Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:MSEX opened at $54.13 on Friday. Middlesex Water has a 52-week low of $44.17 and a 52-week high of $67.09. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $52.48 and a 200 day moving average of $53.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $992.64 million, a PE ratio of 22.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.42.

Middlesex Water Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. Middlesex Water’s payout ratio is currently 61.02%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MSEX has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. New Street Research set a $52.00 target price on shares of Middlesex Water in a report on Friday, December 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Middlesex Water in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Middlesex Water from $73.00 to $63.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $60.33.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Middlesex Water

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSEX. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc purchased a new position in shares of Middlesex Water in the 4th quarter worth about $126,000. Quantessence Capital LLC bought a new stake in Middlesex Water in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $221,000. Cullen Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Middlesex Water by 7.6% in the fourth quarter. Cullen Capital Management LLC now owns 5,053 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $255,000 after buying an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning boosted its stake in Middlesex Water by 47.1% in the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 4,795 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $260,000 after buying an additional 1,535 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Middlesex Water during the third quarter valued at approximately $265,000. Institutional investors own 79.52% of the company’s stock.

About Middlesex Water

Middlesex Water Company is a regulated utility specializing in the provision of potable water and wastewater collection services to residential, commercial and industrial customers. The company operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries, supplying treated water and effectively managing sewage collection systems under state and local regulatory frameworks. Its core mission centers on delivering safe, reliable water while complying with stringent environmental and public health standards.

Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey, Middlesex Water has grown from a local water works enterprise into a multi‐state utilities group.