Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.08 EPS

Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The utilities provider reported $0.82 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by ($0.08), FiscalAI reports. Chesapeake Utilities had a return on equity of 9.20% and a net margin of 14.89%.The company had revenue of $179.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $167.30 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.80 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.1% on a year-over-year basis. Chesapeake Utilities updated its FY 2025 guidance to 6.150-6.350 EPS.

Chesapeake Utilities Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE CPK traded up $2.32 during trading on Friday, hitting $135.46. 128,185 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 119,766. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.15 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $130.64 and a 200-day moving average price of $125.99. Chesapeake Utilities has a 1 year low of $115.12 and a 1 year high of $140.59.

Chesapeake Utilities Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th will be issued a $0.685 dividend. This represents a $2.74 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 15th. Chesapeake Utilities’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CPK has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen cut Chesapeake Utilities from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday. Barclays set a $141.00 target price on Chesapeake Utilities and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. BTIG Research began coverage on Chesapeake Utilities in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Chesapeake Utilities in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $135.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Beth W. Cooper sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.15, for a total value of $660,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 90,713 shares in the company, valued at $11,987,722.95. This trade represents a 5.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.68% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Chesapeake Utilities by 292.9% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 220 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 164 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 94.7% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 222 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in Chesapeake Utilities during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $140,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its holdings in Chesapeake Utilities by 226.1% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,940 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $233,000 after acquiring an additional 1,345 shares during the period. Finally, Brevan Howard Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Chesapeake Utilities during the 2nd quarter valued at $314,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.11% of the company’s stock.

About Chesapeake Utilities

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation operates as an energy delivery company. The company operates through two segments, Regulated Energy and Unregulated Energy. The Regulated Energy segment natural gas distribution operations in central and southern Delaware, Maryland's eastern shore, and Florida; regulated natural gas transmission in the Delmarva Peninsula, Ohio, and Florida; and regulated electric distribution in northeast and northwest Florida.