UTL
Unitil Corporation (UTL) Economic Moat Analysis (2026)
Overall Score
Profitability Returns
Margins remain solid with gross margin at 49.3% and operating margin at 19.0%, but return on invested capital is only 4.1%.
Return on equity is 9.1% and return on assets is 2.5%, indicating only modest capital efficiency despite healthy operating margins.
Balance Sheet Financial Flexibility
Leverage remains elevated with net debt to EBITDA at 4.5x and debt to equity at 1.49x.
Liquidity is weak with a current ratio of 0.49 and cash ratio of 0.02, though the company still generates positive operating cash flow.
Cash Flow Quality
Free cash flow remains negative at -$42.4M TTM and free cash flow yield is -4.6%.
Capital spending is heavy relative to operating cash flow, with capex to operating cash flow at 1.32x and capex to revenue at 31.6%.
Competitive Position
The business appears to have some pricing power, supported by a 49.3% gross margin and 19.0% operating margin.
However, the moat is not clearly strong because returns on capital remain modest and leverage/liquidity constraints limit strategic flexibility.
Sources
- Company filings (10-K, 10-Q, investor presentations)
- Financial and market data providers
- Public news and industry information
🔒 Go Beyond This Framework
This is one of 10 institutional-grade frameworks Invetso runs on Unitil Corporation. Unlock the complete analysis — SWOT, Economic Moat, Porter’s Five Forces, Management, PESTLE and the Invetso Quality Score.

