Which has the lower trailing P/E, AES or WTRG?

AES has the lower trailing P/E: AES trades at 5.67 and WTRG at 20.02. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, AES or WTRG?

Over the past five years, WTRG grew revenue faster — AES at a 4.57% CAGR versus WTRG at 7.33%.

Does AES or WTRG pay a bigger dividend?

AES yields 4.72% and WTRG yields 3.54% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is AES or WTRG more profitable?

WTRG runs the higher net margin — AES at 14.62% versus WTRG at 21.60%.

How have AES and WTRG total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, AES delivered 5.43% and WTRG delivered 5.22% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

The AES Corporation (AES) vs Essential Utilities, Inc. (WTRG)

A side-by-side comparison of The AES Corporation and Essential Utilities, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 2, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

AES

The AES Corporation

$10.63B

$14.90UtilitiesDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 3:55 PM EDT

WTRG

Essential Utilities, Inc.

$11.13B

$39.25UtilitiesDelayed quote: Oct 2, 2026, 3:55 PM EDT

Total return — AES vs WTRG

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

AES +86.8% (+6.4%/yr)WTRG +64.1% (+5.1%/yr)AES compounded faster over this window

AES WTRG

AES vs WTRG: by the numbers

•WTRG is the larger company ($11.13B vs $10.63B market cap).
•AES trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (5.67 vs 20.02 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•WTRG converts more revenue to profit (21.60% vs 14.62% net margin).
•WTRG grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.33% vs 4.57% CAGR).
•AES pays the higher dividend yield (4.72% vs 3.54%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	AES	WTRG
P/E ratio	5.67	20.02
Forward P/E	6.51	17.58
PEG ratio	0.07	1.38
P/S ratio	0.81	4.33
P/B ratio	2.15	1.59
EV / EBITDA	9.16	14.67

Profitability

Metric	AES	WTRG
Gross margin	20.29%	40.96%
Operating margin	17.48%	35.06%
Net margin	14.62%	21.60%
ROE	38.61%	7.91%
ROIC	4.38%	4.40%

Dividends

Metric	AES	WTRG
Dividend yield	4.72%	3.54%
Payout ratio	26.76%	70.84%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AES	WTRG
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	4.57%	7.33%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	78.27%	14.05%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-4.43%	-0.47%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, AES or WTRG?: AES has the lower trailing P/E: AES trades at 5.67 and WTRG at 20.02. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, AES or WTRG?: Over the past five years, WTRG grew revenue faster — AES at a 4.57% CAGR versus WTRG at 7.33%.
Does AES or WTRG pay a bigger dividend?: AES yields 4.72% and WTRG yields 3.54% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is AES or WTRG more profitable?: WTRG runs the higher net margin — AES at 14.62% versus WTRG at 21.60%.
How have AES and WTRG total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, AES delivered 5.43% and WTRG delivered 5.22% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AES analysis Full WTRG analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

AES P/E ratio Essential Utilities P/E ratio AES dividend yield Essential Utilities dividend yield AES ROE Essential Utilities ROE AES operating margin Essential Utilities operating margin AES revenue growth Essential Utilities revenue growth AES free cash flow Essential Utilities free cash flow

AES & Essential Utilities appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks 25+ Year Dividend Growers Highest ROE Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified October 2, 2026.