Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. TLN scored 36.6, WTRG scored 63.8 — WTRG leads.
Compare another set
TLN
Talen Energy Corporation
Utilities - Independent Power Producers · Quality-Growth
36.6
$378.57 · $17.9B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
27.2
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
CheapestWTRG4.3x
Fastest growthTLN+108.9%
Strongest balance sheetWTRG1.22
Highest qualityWTRG57 / 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)
TLN
stronger →← stronger
WTRG
28
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
57
68
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
66
26
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
68
WTRG is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
TLN
WTRG
$568mC+
FCF
-$1.0bF
+108.9%A
Rev
+9.9%B
5.84D
D/E
1.22B+
4.6xC
P/S
4.3xC
—
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.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
TLN
WTRG
104% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
—
~35%/yr
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
—
-62%
1-yr DCF upside
—
-51%
5-yr DCF upside
—
-30%
10-yr DCF upside
—
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
TLN
Why this score
Diluting shareholders
WTRG
Why this score
Raising its dividend
The companies
TLNTalen Energy Corporation
Utilities - Independent Power Producers · $378.57 · beta 1.62
Why now
Utilities - Independent Power Producers · market cap $17.9b. 16% off the 52-week high of $449.84. Revenue growing +109% — in hypergrowth territory. 17 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $455.65 (implying +20% upside).
Moat
Turnaround / out-of-favor name — GAAP-unprofitable for now, so the durability case is forward-looking: it rests on a recovery (margin normalization, a cyclical upturn or restructuring) or an un-monetized asset (IP / network effects / first-mover position) rather than on current reported results.
Risk
D/E 5.84 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Currently unprofitable (margin -4.7%) — path to GAAP profitability is the core thesis risk. Beta 1.62 implies above-market volatility — position-size to the drawdowns this name will produce in a market correction, not to its bull-case return.
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 TLN and WTRG diverge
On the headline score the gap is 27.2 points in favor of WTRG. The widest single difference is Value, where WTRG leads by 42.1 points.
ValueTLN 26.1 · WTRG 68.2WTRG +42.1
QualityTLN 27.6 · WTRG 57.3WTRG +29.7
GrowthTLN 68.1 · WTRG 66.5level
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 TLN the better stock?
WTRG scores higher: WTRG 63.8, TLN 36.6 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 TLN differ most?
The widest gap is value, where WTRG leads by 42 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. WTRG also leads quality, while growth is effectively level between them.
How are WTRG and TLN 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.