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Essential Utilities cash flow, quarter by quarter

Latest: Q3 2026 · from the cash-flow statements filed with the SEC

Free cash flow$229M in Q3 2026 · $2.1B over twelve months

Operating cash flow$229M
Free cash flow+$229M
Cash / net income2.2×

Analysis

In Q3 2026, Essential Utilities generated $229M of operating cash flow. That is $3.3M less than in Q3 2025 ($233M).

Over the twelve months to Sep 30, 2026, operating cash flow was $2.1B; the largest uses were other investing ($3.3B), dividends ($653M), buybacks ($3.0M); besides operations, cash came from other financing ($1.9B), shares issued ($1.7M); the cash balance fell by $23.7M.

Operating cash flow was $229M against net income of $104M — 2.2× profit, cash ran ahead of reported earnings. The largest differences: depreciation & amortization +$114M, payables +$27.8M, prepaid and other assets +$11.5M.

Free cash flow

Essential Utilities: free cash flow by quarterEssential Utilities: free cash flow by quarter$1.4BQ4 2024$300MQ1 2025$272MQ2 2025$233MQ3 2025$1.3BQ4 2025$265MQ1 2026$324MQ2 2026$229MQ3 2026
Operating cash flow less capital spending.
Essential Utilities: operating cash flow against capital spendingEssential Utilities: operating cash flow against capital spendingOperating cash flowCapital spending$1.4B$0Q4 2024$300M$0Q1 2025$272M$0Q2 2025$233M$0Q3 2025$1.3B$0Q4 2025$265M$0Q1 2026$324M$0Q2 2026$229M$0Q3 2026
Latest (Q3 2026): Operating cash flow $229M, Capital spending $0.

Capital allocation, year by year

Essential Utilities: where the cash came from (up) and went (down), by fiscal yearEssential Utilities: where the cash came from (up) and went (down), by fiscal yearOperating cash flowNet borrowingShares issuedCapital spendingAcquisitionsBuybacksDividendsFY2021: Operating cash flow $645MFY2021: Net borrowing $312MFY2021: Shares issued $21.0MFY2021: Buybacks −$3.3MFY2021: Dividends −$259M$978MFY2021FY2022: Operating cash flow $600MFY2022: Net borrowing $833MFY2022: Shares issued $19.1MFY2022: Buybacks −$1.2MFY2022: Dividends −$289M$1.5BFY2022FY2023: Operating cash flow $1.9BFY2023: Net borrowing $914MFY2023: Shares issued $16.3MFY2023: Capital spending −$2.6BFY2023: Acquisitions −$81.0MFY2023: Buybacks −$4.0MFY2023: Dividends −$532M$2.8BFY2023FY2024: Operating cash flow $2.0BFY2024: Net borrowing $988MFY2024: Shares issued $2.5MFY2024: Capital spending −$2.9BFY2024: Acquisitions −$417MFY2024: Buybacks −$4.0MFY2024: Dividends −$585M$3.0BFY2024FY2025: Operating cash flow $2.1BFY2025: Net borrowing $1.1BFY2025: Shares issued $956KFY2025: Capital spending −$3.1BFY2025: Acquisitions −$71.0MFY2025: Buybacks −$2.3MFY2025: Dividends −$633M$3.1BFY2025
Over these 5 years operating cash flow totalled $7.2B; the largest uses were capital spending ($8.6B) and dividends ($2.3B). Cash-flow statements as filed.

Cash runway and the debt wall

Cash & investments$9.3M
Debt$10.1B
Net debt$10.1B
Due within a year$1.5B

Essential Utilities funds itself: free cash flow was $2.1B over the last twelve months, and $9.3M of cash and investments stands against $10.1B of debt ($1.5B due within a year, 0.0× covered by cash).

Essential Utilities: debt maturities by year (FY2025)Essential Utilities: debt maturities by year (FY2025)$1.5BYear 1$646MYear 2$869MYear 3$938MYear 4$517MYear 5$9.9BAfter year 5
Principal due in each year as disclosed in the annual report, against $9.3M of cash and investments now.

Where the cash came from and went

Essential Utilities: sources (+) and uses (−) of cash, Q3 2026Essential Utilities: sources (+) and uses (−) of cash, Q3 2026Other investing−$437MOperating cash flow$229MNet borrowing (+) / repaid (−)$201MOther financing$105MDividends−$102MShares issued$4.4MCash drawn (+) / kept (−)−$686KBuybacks−$1K
Essential Utilities: sources (+) and uses (−) of cash, TTM to Q3 2026Essential Utilities: sources (+) and uses (−) of cash, TTM to Q3 2026Other investing−$3.3BOperating cash flow$2.1BOther financing$1.9BDividends−$653MCash drawn (+) / kept (−)$23.7MBuybacks−$3.0MShares issued$1.7M

From profit to cash

Essential Utilities: net income to operating cash flow, Q3 2026Essential Utilities: net income to operating cash flow, Q3 2026Net income$104MDepreciation & amortization$114MStock-based pay$2.9MDeferred taxes$3.6MPayables$27.8MPrepaid and other assets$11.5MOperating cash flow$229M
Non-cash charges are added back; money tied up in receivables or inventory is subtracted.

Every quarter

QuarterOperating cash flowBuybacksDividendsNet borrowing (+) / repaid (−)Shares issuedCash drawn (+) / kept (−)Free cash flow
Q3 2026$229M−$1K−$102M$201M$4.4M−$686K$229M
Q2 2026$324M−$20K−$97.2M$75.2M$4.3M$67.3M$324M
Q1 2026$265M−$2.9M−$97.0M−$368M$4.0M−$41.1M$265M
Q4 2025$1.3B−$9K−$356M—−$11.0M−$1.8M$1.3B
Q3 2025$233M−$38K−$96.2M−$751M$4.0M$18.7M$233M
Q2 2025$272M−$3K−$91.2M−$71.2M$3.8M−$4.3M$272M
Q1 2025$300M−$2.2M−$89.5M−$37.5M$4.2M−$11.6M$300M
Q4 2024$1.4B−$1.8M−$328M$636M−$9.7M$228M$1.4B

Essential Utilities: income statement and cash flow

Essential Utilities, Q3 2026: revenue $508M (+7% year over year), operating margin 37.9%. The chart follows the revenue to costs, profit and cash.

Essential Utilities: every quarter, Q/Q and Y/Y → Open in the app

Read automatically from the company’s XBRL cash-flow statements; quarterly figures for the fourth quarter are the year less the first three. Errors are possible. Not investment advice.