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WTRG vs COST: Dividend Comparison 2026

WTRG yields 3.30% · COST yields 0.52%● Live data

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After 10 years · $10,000 invested · DRIP enabled
🏆 WTRG wins by $110.6K in total portfolio value
10 years
WTRG
WTRG
● Live price
3.30%
Share price
$41.05
Annual div
$1.35
5Y div CAGR
43.4%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$140.7K
Annual income
$53,649.05
Full WTRG calculator →
COST
COST
● Live price
0.52%
Share price
$996.58
Annual div
$5.20
5Y div CAGR
47%
Payout ratio
50%
After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP
Portfolio value
$30.1K
Annual income
$3,341.06
Full COST calculator →

Portfolio growth — WTRG vs COST

📍 WTRG pulled ahead of the other in Year 1

Annual dividend income

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Recession Test — Did They Cut Dividends?

How each stock treated shareholders during the 3 biggest crises of the last 20 years

Crisis PeriodWTRGCOST
2008–2009
GFC
— No data— No data
2020 Q1–Q2
COVID
— No data— No data
2022 Q4
Rate Hike
— No data— No data
Based on dividend payment history. "Increased" = dividend grew during crisis. "Maintained" = held within 3%. "Cut" = reduced by more than 3%.
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Dividend Calendar Overlap

Combined, WTRG + COST cover 0 of 12 monthsgood coverage

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
WTRG pays
COST pays
Both pay
Neither
💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

Which stock is actually better after tax? Adjust your rate to find out.

WTRG
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$280.22/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$45,601.69/yr
COST
Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)
$44.35/yr
After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)
$2,839.90/yr
At 15% tax rate, WTRG beats the other by $42,761.79/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000
⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

What's the optimal mix of WTRG + COST for your $10,000?

WTRG: 50%COST: 50%
100% COST50/50100% WTRG
Portfolio after 10yr
$85.4K
Annual income
$28,495.05/yr
Blended yield
33.37%
📊

Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on COST right now

WTRG
Analyst Ratings
9
Buy
8
Hold
1
Sell
Consensus: Buy
Price Target
$42.25
+2.9% upside vs current
Range: $38.00 — $45.00
Altman Z
1.0
Piotroski
6/9
COST
Analyst Ratings
38
Buy
19
Hold
1
Sell
Consensus: Buy
Price Target
$1,061.33
+6.5% upside vs current
Range: $769.00 — $1,175.00
Altman Z
9.4
Piotroski
8/9
Analyst ratings via FMP. Altman Z-Score: >3.0 safe, 1.81–3.0 grey zone, <1.81 distress. Piotroski: 7–9 strong, 0–3 weak.
🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

WTRG buys
2
COST buys
0
PoliticianChamberTickerTypeAmountDate
Lisa McClain🏢 House$WTRG▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002025-09-25
Dan Newhouse🏢 House$WTRG▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002025-04-11
Michael Patrick Guest🏢 House$WTRG▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002023-01-11
Susie Lee🏢 House$WTRG▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002020-06-04
Susie Lee🏢 House$WTRG▲ Buy$1,001 - $15,0002020-04-27
Angus King🏛 Senate$WTRG▼ Sell$1,001 - $15,0002020-03-05
STOCK Act mandates disclosure within 45 days of transaction. Data via FMP.Full tracker →
MetricWTRGCOST
Forward yield3.30%0.52%
Annual dividend / share$1.35$5.20
Payout ratio50%50%
1-year div growth0%0%
5-year div CAGR43.4%47%
Portfolio after 10y$140.7K$30.1K
Annual income after 10y$53,649.05$3,341.06
Total dividends collected$110.9K$9.2K
Payment frequencyquarterlyquarterly
SectorStockConsumer Staples
Analyst consensusBuyBuy
Analyst price target$42.25$1,061.33

Year-by-year: WTRG vs COST ($10,000, DRIP)

YearWTRG PortfolioWTRG Income/yrCOST PortfolioCOST Income/yrGap
1← crossover$11,173$472.75$10,777$76.70+$396.00WTRG
2$12,663$707.87$11,645$113.56+$1.0KWTRG
3$14,624$1,075.20$12,628$168.58+$2.0KWTRG
4$17,312$1,664.18$13,763$251.16+$3.5KWTRG
5$21,164$2,640.24$15,103$376.07+$6.1KWTRG
6$26,972$4,325.74$16,727$566.94+$10.2KWTRG
7$36,248$7,388.01$18,761$862.64+$17.5KWTRG
8$52,091$13,306.57$21,403$1,329.21+$30.7KWTRG
9$81,366$25,628.28$24,985$2,083.31+$56.4KWTRG
10$140,711$53,649.05$30,075$3,341.06+$110.6KWTRG

WTRG vs COST: Complete Analysis 2026

WTRGStock

Essential Utilities, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates regulated utilities that provide water, wastewater, or natural gas services in the United States. It offers water services through operating and maintenance contract with municipal authorities and other parties. The company also provides non-utility raw water supply services for firms in the natural gas drilling industry; and water and sewer line protection solutions, and repair services to households through a third-party. It serves approximately 7.5 million residential water, commercial water, fire protection, industrial water, wastewater, and other water and utility customers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky under the Aqua and Peoples brands. The company was formerly known as Aqua America, Inc. and changed its name to Essential Utilities, Inc. in February 2020. Essential Utilities, Inc. was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Full WTRG Calculator →

COSTConsumer Staples

Costco Wholesale Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of membership warehouses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Australia, Spain, France, Iceland, China, and Taiwan. It offers branded and private-label products in a range of merchandise categories. The company offers sundries, dry groceries, candies, coolers, freezers, liquor, and tobacco and deli products; appliances, electronics, health and beauty aids, hardware, garden and patio products, sporting goods, tires, toys and seasonal products, office supplies, automotive care products, postages, tickets, apparel, small appliances, furniture, domestics, housewares, special order kiosks, and jewelry; and meat, produce, service deli, and bakery products. It also operates pharmacies, opticals, food courts, hearing-aid centers, and tire installation centers, as well as 636 gas stations; and offers business delivery, travel, same-day grocery, and various other services online in various countries. As of August 29, 2021, the company operated 815 membership warehouses, including 564 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 105 in Canada, 39 in Mexico, 30 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 16 in South Korea, 14 in Taiwan, 12 in Australia, 3 in Spain, 1 in Iceland, 1 in France, and 1 in China. It also operates e-commerce websites in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Australia. The company was formerly known as Costco Companies, Inc. and changed its name to Costco Wholesale Corporation in August 1999. Costco Wholesale Corporation was founded in 1976 and is based in Issaquah, Washington.

Full COST Calculator →
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⚠️ Educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Congressional trades sourced from SEC STOCK Act filings via FMP. Past performance does not guarantee future results.