GET DAILY SIGNALSYork Water (YORW) Q3 2026 Earnings: Rate Hike Supports +9% EPS Growth
Key Takeaways
- The York Water Company (YORW) is expected to report third-quarter 2026 results before the market opens in late October or early November, covering the three months ended September 30, 2026.
- Analysts project earnings per share (EPS) of $0.47 on revenue of about $22.60 million, implying roughly 9% EPS growth and 11% revenue growth versus the year-ago quarter.
- A rate increase that took effect March 1, 2026 remains the central revenue driver, partially offset by the reset of the Distribution System Improvement Charge (DSIC), a Pennsylvania utility charge for infrastructure replacement.
- York Water topped the consensus EPS estimate in five of its last eight quarters, including Q2 2026, when it posted $0.49 per share versus a $0.40 consensus.
- Management has guided to roughly $26.8 million in additional 2026 capital investment, excluding acquisitions, for infrastructure and software upgrades.
- For additional detail on this ticker's Major News, Today's Price Move, Price Targets, and Forecast, explore the dedicated pages for a fuller view of the stock's outlook.
- You can also explore Trending AI Robots to see AI-driven trading strategies currently drawing attention across the market.
Earnings Context and Why It Matters
As a regulated water and wastewater utility serving parts of south-central Pennsylvania, YORW generates highly stable, rate-based revenue that makes its quarterly updates a useful read on cost control, customer growth, and the pace of infrastructure spending. The third-quarter 2026 report is the second full period since the company's March 1 rate increase took effect, giving investors a clearer view of how that pricing step translates into revenue and net income. Because utilities fund capital programs through a mix of debt and equity, results also reveal how financing and operating costs are pressuring margins. With a forward dividend yield near 2.9%, income-focused shareholders will watch whether earnings comfortably cover the payout.
Earnings Expectations
Consensus estimates call for EPS of $0.47 on revenue of approximately $22.60 million for the third quarter. That compares with EPS of $0.43 and revenue of $20.36 million in the same period a year ago, pointing to expected EPS growth near 9% and revenue growth near 11%. The March 1, 2026 rate increase and continued customer-base expansion are the primary growth levers, though a reset to zero of the Distribution System Improvement Charge (DSIC) partially offsets the revenue benefit. In the prior quarter, York Water delivered $0.49 per share, beating the $0.40 consensus, on revenue of $23.52 million. Historically, the stock has reacted modestly around earnings, with limited post-report volatility typical of a defensive utility. I also checked this using Tickeron’s AI Screener to see how the stock compares to others in the industry.
Market Reaction and Investor Sentiment
Sentiment heading into the third-quarter report remains steady and defensive, consistent with YORW's profile as a low-beta regulated utility. Shares have traded in a relatively narrow range, and options markets have historically implied only small post-earnings moves, reflecting the company's predictable revenue stream. Key risks heading into the release include higher operation and maintenance expenses, rising depreciation and interest costs, and the dilutive effect of a growing share count, all of which have partially offset recent rate-driven gains. Investors will also weigh whether the DSIC reset and heavier capital spending pressure margins more than the rate increase can offset.
Forward Outlook and Key Factors to Monitor
Beyond the headline EPS and revenue figures, investors should watch how the March 1, 2026 rate increase flows through the income statement now that it has been in place for two full quarters. Any commentary on the timing and scale of future rate cases will be important, since those filings determine how quickly the company can recover rising infrastructure costs.
Capital spending is another area to monitor closely. Management has estimated an additional $26.8 million of investment for the remainder of 2026, excluding acquisitions, directed at main extensions, an enterprise software upgrade, and routine replacements. Higher depreciation and interest on debt tied to that spending could weigh on near-term profitability, even as it supports longer-term reliability and customer growth.
Finally, keep an eye on operating expenses and the pace of customer-base expansion. While recent acquisitions of small wastewater systems add service territory, rising operation and maintenance costs and a growing share count can temper per-share gains. Dividend coverage will remain a key gauge for income-focused investors, alongside any updates on rate relief and regulatory approvals.
My Take on AI-Powered Research Tools
When preparing analyses like this one, I often turn to Tickeron’s AI Screener to quickly filter comparable utilities and review technical patterns alongside fundamentals. It streamlines the process of spotting sector trends without replacing deeper fundamental work, and I find it especially useful for cross-checking earnings setups in defensive names.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
Contributor
Sergey Savastiouk, Ph.D. has a degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow University and has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, investor, manager, and mathematician. His professional expertise is in applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, system and pattern analysis, and software and hardware system integration. He has served as the CEO of several hi-tech start-up companies and nonprofit organizations, which has given him proven capabilities in business strategy for high-tech start-up companies, market assessment, company formation, team building, product development, marketing, and sales. He has published numerous articles in journals and magazines on related fields. As a retail investor, he spent 15 years developing his proprietary trading and quantitative algorithms (now Tickeron’s A.I.), which brought him significant returns in trading the stock market. His current work and goal in founding Tickeron is to bring professional, sophisticated stock market analysis capabilities to retail investors via an easy-to-use interface.
YORW's RSI Indicator ascends from oversold territory
The RSI Oscillator for YORW moved out of oversold territory on October 02, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is shifting from a downward trend to an upward trend. Traders may want to buy the stock or call options. The A.I.dvisor looked at 29 similar instances when the indicator left oversold territory. In 20 of the 29 cases the stock moved higher. This puts the odds of a move higher at 69%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 22, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on YORW as a result. In 39 of 93 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 42%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for YORW just turned positive on October 08, 2026. Looking at past instances where YORW's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 29 of 55 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 53%.
YORW moved above its 50-day moving average on November 04, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
Following a +3.31% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where YORW advanced for three days, in 123 of 276 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 45%.
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 107 of 181 cases where YORW Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 59%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator has been in the overbought zone for 2 days. Expect a price pull-back in the near future.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where YORW declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 52%.
YORW broke above its upper Bollinger Band on October 22, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 47 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. YORW’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 69 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to worse than average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 75 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating weak sales and an unprofitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 97 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (1.779) is normal, around the industry mean (1.875). P/E Ratio (20.037) is within average values for comparable stocks, (24.501). YORW's Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (11.960) is very high in comparison to the industry average of (3.694). Dividend Yield (0.028) settles around the average of (0.034) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (5.851) is also within normal values, averaging (4.350).
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 100 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. YORW’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 85, placing this stock worse than average.
Industry description
Market Cap
High and low price notable news
Volume
Fundamental Analysis Ratings
The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows
Advertisement
General Information
a provider of water to residential and business customers
Industry WaterUtilities
Advertisement