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California Water Service Group: Poor Performance (Rating Downgrade)

The article from SeekingAlpha discusses the poor performance of California Water Service Group (CWT), highlighting several key points. CWT has experienced a significant decline in its stock price, dropping by 20% over the past year, which is attributed to a combination of factors including regulatory challenges, increased operational costs, and a lack of growth in earnings. The company has been dealing with regulatory issues in California, where the majority of its operations are based, leading to delays in rate case decisions which impact its ability to recover costs and earn a fair return. Additionally, the article notes that CWT's capital expenditure has been high, aimed at infrastructure upgrades, but this has not translated into improved financial performance due to the aforementioned regulatory delays. The author expresses concern over the company's high dividend payout ratio, suggesting that while the dividend appears safe in the short term, the long-term sustainability is questionable given the lack of earnings growth. The overall sentiment is one of caution, advising investors to look elsewhere for better investment opportunities in the utility sector.

Read the Full Seeking Alpha Article at:
[ https://seekingalpha.com/article/4745116-california-water-service-group-poor-performance ]