Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. AES scored 49.9, WTRG scored 63.8 — WTRG leads.
Compare another set
AES
The AES Corporation
Utilities - Diversified · Quality-Growth
49.9
$14.94 · $10.7B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
13.9
WTRG leads
WTRG
Essential Utilities, Inc.
Utilities - Regulated Water · Quality-Growth
63.8
$38.98 · $11.1B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestAES0.8x
Fastest growthWTRG+9.9%
Strongest balance sheetWTRG1.22
Highest qualityAES65 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/S multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
AES
stronger →← stronger
WTRG
65
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
57
25
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
66
75
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
68
AES is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
AES
WTRG
-$1.7bF
FCF
-$1.0bF
-0.4%D+
Rev
+9.9%B
2.57C
D/E
1.22B+
0.8xA
P/S
4.3xC
0.81B+
PEG
3.45D
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Model signals
AES
Why this score
Durable high returns
WTRG
Why this score
Raising its dividend
The companies
AESThe AES Corporation
Utilities - Diversified · $14.94 · beta 0.95
Why now
Utilities - Diversified · market cap $10.7b. 15% off the 52-week high of $17.65. PEG 0.81 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 8 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $15.00 (implying +0% upside).
Moat
Net margin 14% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent.
Risk
D/E 2.57 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Free cash flow is negative (-$1.7b) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk.
WTRGEssential Utilities, Inc.
Utilities - Regulated Water · $38.98 · beta 0.62
Why now
Utilities - Regulated Water · market cap $11.1b. 8% off the 52-week high of $42.51. 5 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $42.20 (implying +8% upside).
Moat
Net margin 41% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 15% meets the long-run market sustainable threshold — solid but not differentiated; the durability comes from elsewhere.
Risk
Free cash flow is negative (-$1.0b) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where AES and WTRG diverge
On the headline score the gap is 13.9 points in favor of WTRG. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
GrowthAES 25.4 · WTRG 66.5WTRG +41.1
QualityAES 65.4 · WTRG 57.3AES +8.1
ValueAES 75.0 · WTRG 68.2AES +6.8
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.
Common questions
Is WTRG or AES the better stock?
WTRG scores higher: WTRG 63.8, AES 49.9 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do WTRG and AES differ most?
The widest gap is growth, where WTRG leads by 41 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. Neither name sweeps: they trade the lead across the three pillars, so the comparison is a trade-off rather than one being better on every measure.
How are WTRG and AES scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.