# California Water Service Group (CWT) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NYSE, United States. Sector: Utilities / Water Utilities. Price $50.03, market value $3.1 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 22.4×** (5-yr avg 30.3×, 3-yr avg 28.9×). California Water Service Group trades at 22.4× trailing earnings, well below its own five-year average of 30.3×: cheap by its own standards. The Utilities median in the September 2026 study was 21.2×. Forward P/E is 18.2×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **Price / sales: 3.1×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 3.1×.
- **Price / book: 1.7×**. The shares trade at 1.7× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 13.7×**. Enterprise value is 13.7× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed.
- **Earnings yield: 4.5%**. The inverse of the P/E: 4.5% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Operating margin: 18.5%**. 18.5% of revenue is left after running the business, a healthy level in most sectors.
- **Net margin: 13.3%**. 13.3% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 7.6%**. 7.6% on shareholders' equity is weak; the business earns little on the capital its owners have in it.
- **Return on invested capital: 4.7%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 4.7%: close to or below the cost of capital, so growth may not create value.
- **Return on assets: 2.3%**. Each dollar of assets produces 2.3% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 6.4%** (3-yr 7.6%/yr, 5-yr 6.7%/yr). Revenue grew 6.4% over the last year, against 6.7% a year compounded over five years.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): -33.8%** (3-yr 6.7%/yr, 5-yr 1.8%/yr). Earnings per share fell 33.8%, slower than revenue, so margins compressed.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.87**. Debt is 0.87 times equity, moderate leverage.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 4.3×**. It would take 4.3 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, above the 3× level most lenders treat as comfortable.
- **Piotroski F-score: 3/9**. 3 of 9 checks pass: weak or deteriorating financials.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 2.68%** ($1.27 per share, trailing). California Water Service Group yields 2.68%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.
- **Payout ratio: 58%**. 58% of earnings goes out as dividends, leaving room to keep raising it.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 26**. 26 straight years of increases (the data covers 26 years, so this may be longer): a record very few companies hold.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): 7.8%/yr** (1-yr 10.7%). The dividend has grown 7.8% a year over five years.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: strong_buy** (3 analysts). 3 analysts cover California Water Service Group; the consensus is strong_buy, with an average price target of $55.33 (+11% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 9.5%** (YTD 17.2%, 3-mo 9.2%). The shares are up 9.5% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -7.0%** (21.2% above the low). Trading 7% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 50**. An RSI of 50 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): -0.22** (volatility 25%). Beta of -0.22 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=CWT · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/cwt

Not investment advice.