Which has the lower trailing P/E, HTO or MSEX?

MSEX has the lower trailing P/E: HTO trades at 20.44 and MSEX at 20.28. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, HTO or MSEX?

Over the past five years, HTO grew revenue faster — HTO at a 7.82% CAGR versus MSEX at 7.47%.

Does HTO or MSEX pay a bigger dividend?

HTO yields 2.98% and MSEX yields 2.68% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is HTO or MSEX more profitable?

MSEX runs the higher net margin — HTO at 12.91% versus MSEX at 23.26%.

How have HTO and MSEX total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, HTO delivered 5.66% and MSEX delivered 6.64% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

H2O America (HTO) vs Middlesex Water Company (MSEX)

A side-by-side comparison of H2O America and Middlesex Water Company across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 6, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

HTO

H2O America

$2.43B

$58.06UtilitiesDelayed quote: Oct 6, 2026, 3:20 PM EDT

MSEX

Middlesex Water Company

$994M

$52.73UtilitiesDelayed quote: Oct 6, 2026, 3:20 PM EDT

Total return — HTO vs MSEX

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

HTO +70.9% (+5.5%/yr)MSEX +89.9% (+6.6%/yr)MSEX compounded faster over this window

HTO MSEX

HTO vs MSEX: by the numbers

•HTO is the larger company ($2.43B vs $994M market cap).
•MSEX trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (20.28 vs 20.44 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•MSEX converts more revenue to profit (23.26% vs 12.91% net margin).
•HTO grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.82% vs 7.47% CAGR).
•HTO pays the higher dividend yield (2.98% vs 2.68%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	HTO	MSEX
P/E ratio	20.44	20.28
Forward P/E	20.49	19.80
PEG ratio	3.19	12.68
P/S ratio	2.93	4.82
P/B ratio	1.32	1.91
EV / EBITDA	14.01	15.48

Profitability

Metric	HTO	MSEX
Gross margin	46.73%	43.64%
Operating margin	21.53%	29.22%
Net margin	12.91%	23.26%
ROE	5.80%	9.18%
ROIC	3.05%	3.99%

Dividends

Metric	HTO	MSEX
Dividend yield	2.98%	2.68%
Payout ratio	61.27%	55.38%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	HTO	MSEX
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	7.82%	7.47%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	6.29%	1.51%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-0.24%	-10.95%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, HTO or MSEX?: MSEX has the lower trailing P/E: HTO trades at 20.44 and MSEX at 20.28. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, HTO or MSEX?: Over the past five years, HTO grew revenue faster — HTO at a 7.82% CAGR versus MSEX at 7.47%.
Does HTO or MSEX pay a bigger dividend?: HTO yields 2.98% and MSEX yields 2.68% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is HTO or MSEX more profitable?: MSEX runs the higher net margin — HTO at 12.91% versus MSEX at 23.26%.
How have HTO and MSEX total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, HTO delivered 5.66% and MSEX delivered 6.64% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full HTO analysis Full MSEX analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

H2O America P/E ratio Middlesex Water P/E ratio H2O America dividend yield Middlesex Water dividend yield H2O America ROE Middlesex Water ROE H2O America operating margin Middlesex Water operating margin H2O America revenue growth Middlesex Water revenue growth H2O America free cash flow Middlesex Water free cash flow

H2O America & Middlesex Water appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks 25+ Year Dividend Growers

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 6, 2026.