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H2O AMERICA (HTO)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q2 2025 delivered a clean beat: adjusted EPS $0.75 vs S&P Global consensus $0.70* and revenue $198.3M vs $187.3M*, driven by rate increases in CA/CT and higher usage; GAAP EPS was $0.71 and net income rose 19% YoY to $24.7M . Results were partially offset by higher purchased water/groundwater extraction costs and elevated credit losses .
- Guidance reaffirmed: FY25 adjusted EPS $2.90–$3.00 and long-term EPS CAGR 5–7% through 2029, with management expecting performance in the top half of the range .
- Strategic/regulatory momentum: AMI recovery approved in CA effective July 1; CT enacted the Water Quality & Treatment Adjustment (PFAS recovery); TX enabled future/hybrid test year and accelerated SIC processing—reducing lag across jurisdictions .
- M&A optionality/catalyst: Agreement to acquire Quadvest (Greater Houston); FMV appraisal process underway with PUCT—deal expected to be accretive in 2028 and “meaningfully accretive” to LT growth; active connections grew to 50.5k with >140k total active/contracted .
- Capital deployment intact: $207.2M YTD infrastructure investment; on track for $473M 2025 capex; dividend raised to $0.42 per quarter (annualized $1.68) .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- Strong topline and EPS beat: revenue +13% YoY to $198.3M; adjusted EPS +14% YoY to $0.75, with rate actions (+$17.6M) and higher usage (+$4.9M) the key drivers .
- Regulatory wins reduced lag: CA AMI recovery approved; CT passed WQTA for PFAS; TX authorized future/hybrid test year and shortened SIC timelines—“we expect they are in the best interest of customers and the company” .
- Strategic M&A: Quadvest acquisition to expand Texas scale; management: “expected to be accretive in 2028 and meaningfully accretive to our long-term growth rate” .
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What Went Wrong
- Cost pressure: Water production expenses +$10.4M YoY (purchased water/groundwater) and A&G +$8.3M (credit losses, acquisition, insurance, contracted work) limited flow-through .
- Texas demand headwinds: Ongoing conservation lowered TX usage; management does not expect a guidance change but acknowledged continued restrictions through peak season .
- Share dilution: Increased share count had a ~$0.05 EPS headwind in the quarter .
Financial Results
Note: Asterisks indicate values from S&P Global with no document citation. Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Note: Asterisks indicate values from S&P Global with no document citation. Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Select drivers and costs (Q2 2025 YoY):
- Rate increases: +$17.6M; higher usage: +$4.9M; regulatory mechanism adjustments: partial offset .
- Purchased water: $37.4M; groundwater extraction: $26.4M; power: $3.9M; A&G: $28.8M .
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- CEO: “We invested $207 million in water and wastewater utility infrastructure across all four states through June 30, and we are on track to meet our $473 million capital plan for 2025.”
- CFO: “Increased revenue from rates and usage drove a revenue increase of $0.57 [per share]; partially offset by higher water production expenses of $0.27, other operating expenses of $0.19, and ~$0.05 due to an increase in the number of shares outstanding.”
- COO: “CT’s WQTA increases the percent of capital in our five-year plan recovered on a timely basis to 75% from 66%… recovery is for the total amount spent during the period, not just completed projects.”
- CEO on Quadvest accretion: “100 bps would absolutely be a meaningful increase as an example,” while deferring specifics until further along .
Q&A Highlights
- Quadvest FMV process: PUCT to appoint three appraisers within 30 days; 120-day appraisal window; FMV averaged; sale/transfer filing thereafter .
- Connection growth cadence: Management noted “law of large numbers” effect—guides investors to look at absolute increases; >140k total active/contracted, +4% in six months; +2k regulated active connections (+6%) .
- PFAS recovery (CT WQTA): Forward-looking recovery on dollars spent; first filing expected early 2026; 2–3 month approval process analogous to WICA .
- TX future/hybrid test year: Applicant selects filing type; rulemaking begins September; could still be an area of contention in cases .
- Strategic interest in CT assets (Aquarion): Would be strategic, but focus near-term is TX acquisition .
Estimates Context
- Q2 2025 results vs S&P Global consensus: Revenue beat by ~$11.0M; EPS beat by ~$0.05—supported by rate actions in CA/CT and usage in CA; partially offset by higher purchased water/groundwater and A&G including credit losses .
- Estimate revision risk: Reaffirmed FY25 adj EPS and LT growth; regulatory wins and Quadvest pipeline may support upward bias to outer-year growth assumptions post close; near-term Opex pressures and TX conservation temper near-term upside .
Note: Asterisks in tables indicate values from S&P Global with no document citation. Values retrieved from S&P Global.
KPIs and Operating Metrics
Guidance Changes: Details and Rationale
- FY25 adjusted EPS $2.90–$3.00 reaffirmed; drivers include full-year CA/CT rate cases, infrastructure riders, and usage; offsets include higher wholesaler pass-through costs, Opex/credit losses, and share count .
- Long-term 5–7% EPS growth through 2029 reaffirmed with management bias to top half, underpinned by increased five-year capex plan and improved recovery mechanisms .
- 2025 capex on track at $473M; ~44% deployed by 6/30 including cloud-capitalizable items .
Why the Quarter Beat (and Risks)
- Revenue outperformance tied to rate increases (CA/CT, infrastructure mechanisms) and higher usage in CA; TX usage a headwind due to conservation .
- Cost inflation in purchased water and groundwater extraction largely offset in revenue; elevated A&G driven by credit loss normalization (prior-year arrearage collections), acquisition, insurance, and contracted work .
- Share issuance via ATM funded capex while modestly diluting EPS; liquidity remains ample with $199M LOC availability at lower average rates vs prior year .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Quality beat with reaffirmed outlook: Solid execution on rates/usage and disciplined cost/financing underpin the FY25 guide and LT growth trajectory .
- Structural regulatory upgrades across CA/CT/TX should compress lag and smooth PFAS/AMI recovery, supporting earnings visibility into 2026–2029 .
- Quadvest is the medium-term catalyst: FMV appraisal and regulatory timeline are the watch items; accretion expected in 2028 with meaningful LT growth uplift .
- Near-term risks: Purchased water/groundwater extraction cost inflation, continuing TX conservation, and elevated A&G (credit losses/contracted work) .
- Capital plan fully funded path: Continued ATM usage, manageable LOC, and fixed-rate debt adds flexibility; dividend growth continues (+$0.02 QoQ vs 2024) .
- Trading setup: Positive narrative (beat + reaffirm + reg wins + Quadvest pipeline) vs watch for TX usage normalization and Opex cadence; catalysts include TX FMV milestones, CT WQTA filing in early 2026, and CA AMI ramp .
Sources
- Q2 2025 earnings press release and 8-K (Item 2.02): financials, drivers, guidance, dividend, regulatory updates .
- Q2 2025 earnings call transcript: management commentary, Q&A, financing, state updates, M&A – and duplicate –.
- Prior quarters for trend analysis: Q1 2025 and Q4 2024 earnings call transcripts – –.
- S&P Global consensus (via GetEstimates) for Q2 2025 revenue and EPS; asterisks denote values with no document citation. Values retrieved from S&P Global.