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How to buy United Utilities Group shares | 917.4p
Own United Utilities Group shares in just a few minutes. Share price changes are updated daily.
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United Utilities Group PLC (UU) is a leading utilities-regulated water business based in the UK. It opened the day at 939.8p after a previous close of 930.6p. During the day the price has varied from a low of 911.4p to a high of 939.8p. The latest price was 917.4p (25 minute delay). United Utilities Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and employs 5,000 staff. All prices are listed in pence sterling.
How to buy shares in United Utilities Group
- Choose a platform. If you're a beginner, our share-dealing table below can help you choose.
- Open your account. You'll need your ID, bank details and national insurance number.
- Confirm your payment details. You'll need to fund your account with a bank transfer, debit card or credit card.
- Search the platform for stock code: UU in this case.
- Research United Utilities Group shares. The platform should provide the latest information available.
- Buy your United Utilities Group shares. It's that simple.
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What's in this guide?
- Can I buy shares in United Utilities Group?
- Has coronavirus impacted United Utilities Group shares?
- United Utilities Group shares summary
- Compare share dealing platforms
- Is United Utilities Group stock a buy or sell?
- United Utilities Group performance over time
- Is United Utilities Group suitable for ethical investing?
- Are United Utilities Group shares over-valued?
- United Utilities Group's financials
- How volatile are United Utilities Group shares?
- Does United Utilities Group pay a dividend?
- Other common questions
How has Coronavirus impacted United Utilities Group's share price?
Since the stock market crash in March caused by coronavirus, United Utilities Group's share price has had significant negative movement.
Its last market close was 888.4p, which is 16.03% down on its pre-crash value of 1058p and 19.57% up on the lowest point reached during the March crash when the shares fell as low as 743p.
If you had bought £1,000 worth of United Utilities Group shares at the start of February 2020, those shares would have been worth £759.78 at the bottom of the March crash, and if you held on to them, then as of the last market close they'd be worth £883.96.
United Utilities Group share price
Use our graph to track the performance of UU stocks over time.United Utilities Group shares at a glance
Information last updated 2020-12-11.
| Open | 939.8p |
|---|---|
| High | 939.8p |
| Low | 911.4p |
| Close | 917.4p |
| Previous close | 930.6p |
| Change | -13.2p |
| Change % | -1.418% |
| Volume | 1,833,868 |
Information last updated 2020-12-27.
| 52-week range | 710.0062p - 1021.0521p |
|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | 916.9p |
| 200-day moving average | 890.9775p |
| Wall St. target price | 809.27p |
| PE ratio | 55.6149 |
| Dividend yield | 0.43p (4.78%) |
| Earnings per share (TTM) | 16.1p |
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All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
Is it a good time to buy United Utilities Group stock?
The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. This is not a recommendation, however. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.
United Utilities Group price performance over time
Historical closes compared with the last close of 917.4p
| 3 months (2020-10-16) | 3.26% |
|---|---|
| 6 months (2020-07-17) | 5.01% |
Is United Utilities Group under- or over-valued?
Valuing United Utilities Group stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of United Utilities Group's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.
United Utilities Group's P/E ratio
United Utilities Group's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 56x. In other words, United Utilities Group shares trade at around 56x recent earnings.
That's relatively high compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the FTSE 250 at the end of September 2019 (19.71). The high P/E ratio could mean that investors are optimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're over-valued.
United Utilities Group's PEG ratio
United Utilities Group's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 3.45. A low ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer better value, while a higher ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value.
The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into United Utilities Group's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.
United Utilities Group's EBITDA
United Utilities Group's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is a whopping £1.1 billion.
The EBITDA is a measure of a United Utilities Group's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure a its profitability.
United Utilities Group financials
| Revenue TTM | £1.8 billion |
|---|---|
| Operating margin TTM | 37.96% |
| Gross profit TTM | £1.7 billion |
| Return on assets TTM | 3.02% |
| Return on equity TTM | 3.75% |
| Profit margin | 6.06% |
| Book value | 4.152p |
| Market capitalisation | £6.1 billion |
TTM: trailing 12 months
United Utilities Group's environmental, social and governance track record
Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like United Utilities Group.
When it comes to ESG scores, lower is better, and lower scores are generally associated with lower risk for would-be investors.
United Utilities Group's total ESG risk score
Total ESG risk: 22.63
Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and United Utilities Group's overall score of 22.63 (as at 01/01/2019) is pretty good – landing it in it in the 22nd percentile of companies rated in the same sector.
ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like United Utilities Group is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).
United Utilities Group's environmental score
Environmental score: 8.37/100
United Utilities Group's environmental score of 8.37 puts it squarely in the 5th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that United Utilities Group is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
United Utilities Group's social score
Social score: 9.64/100
United Utilities Group's social score of 9.64 puts it squarely in the 5th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that United Utilities Group is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.
United Utilities Group's governance score
Governance score: 9.62/100
United Utilities Group's governance score puts it squarely in the 5th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that United Utilities Group is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.
United Utilities Group's controversy score
Controversy score: 2/5
ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. A high-profile company, United Utilities Group scored a 2 out of 5 for controversy – the second-highest score possible, reflecting that United Utilities Group has, for the most part, managed to keep its nose clean.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) summary
United Utilities Group PLC was last rated for ESG on: 2019-01-01.
| Total ESG score | 22.63 |
|---|---|
| Total ESG percentile | 21.64 |
| Environmental score | 8.37 |
| Environmental score percentile | 5 |
| Social score | 9.64 |
| Social score percentile | 5 |
| Governance score | 9.62 |
| Governance score percentile | 5 |
| Level of controversy | 2 |
United Utilities Group share dividends
Dividend payout ratio: 26756.25% of net profits
Recently United Utilities Group has paid out, on average, around 26756.25% of net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 4.78% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), United Utilities Group shareholders could enjoy a 4.78% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In United Utilities Group's case, that would currently equate to about 0.43p per share.
United Utilities Group's payout ratio would broadly be considered high, and as such this stock could appeal to those looking to generate an income. Bear in mind however that companies should normally also look to re-invest a decent amount of net profits to ensure future growth.
The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 17 December 2020 (the "ex-dividend date").
United Utilities Group share price volatility
Over the last 12 months, United Utilities Group's shares have ranged in value from as little as 710.0062p up to 1021.0521p. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".
Beta is a measure of a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (LSE average) beta is 1, while United Utilities Group's is 0.1979. This would suggest that United Utilities Group's shares are less volatile than average (for this exchange).
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United Utilities Group overview
United Utilities Group PLC provides water and wastewater services in the United Kingdom. It is also involved in renewable energy generation, corporate trustee, financing, and property management activities; and the provision of waste treatment, consulting, and project management services. The company operates 42,000 kilometers (km) of water pipes; 78,000 km of wastewater pipes; 566 wastewater treatment works; and 86 water treatment works. It serves 3 million households and 200,000 business customers. United Utilities Group PLC was incorporated in 2008 is based in Warrington, the United Kingdom.
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