Unilever plc vs Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock — how do they compare? Unilever plc trades at $65 (market cap $137.84B), while Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock trades at $39.82 (market cap $11.31B). The key difference: Unilever plc is far larger — about 12.2× Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock's market cap, and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock pays the higher dividend (3.62%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Unilever plc for 112 Days and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock for 0 Days on average.
| UL | WTRG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $137.84B | $11.31B |
Volume | 2,711,415 | 2,459,172 |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Utilities |
52-Week High | $74.59 | $42.00 |
52-Week Low | $55.05 | $36.25 |
Typical Hold Time | 112 Days | 0 Days |
Enterprise Value | $162.87B | $19.82B |
Dividend Yield | 3.32% | 3.62% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Unilever (UL) trades at $62.49, down 0.73% with a bullish technical signal despite recent earnings misses. The company shows strong profitability with 18.32% net margins and 54.56% ROE, though revenue declined to $50.5B in 2025. Recent news highlights the planned $65B food business merger with McCormick facing regulatory scrutiny while the company focuses on beauty and personal care segments.
UL presents a mixed outlook with strong fundamentals offset by execution risks. The 26.32% buy rating and $66.08 consensus target suggest modest upside potential, but investors face headwinds from competitive pressures and integration challenges from the McCormick deal. The stock's current valuation at 21.87 P/E appears reasonable given its defensive characteristics and emerging market exposure.
WTRG trades at $39.29, up 0.36% with neutral technical signals. The stock shows mixed earnings performance with two beats and one miss in recent quarters, while maintaining strong profitability margins (21.6% net income margin). Analyst consensus is bullish with a $44.50 price target, supported by ongoing acquisitions and pending merger developments with American Water.
The stock presents a stable utility investment with moderate growth potential through strategic acquisitions, though near-term earnings volatility and integration risks from the pending merger warrant caution. Current valuation at 20.15 P/E appears reasonable given the company's consistent cash flow generation and defensive sector positioning.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Unilever is a diversified personal product (42% of 2021 sales by value), home care (20%), and packaged food (38%) company. Its brands include Knorr soups and sauces, Hellmann's mayonnaise, Lipton teas, Axe and Dove skin products, and the TRESemme haircare brand. The firm has been acquisitive in recent years
Read more on UL →Essential Utilities Inc. is a holding company for regulated water, wastewater, and natural gas utilities, operating under the Aqua and Peoples brands. It serves customers across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky.
Read more on WTRG →