PPL (NYSE:PPL) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.02 EPS

PPL (NYSE:PPL) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The utilities provider reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.02, Zacks reports. PPL had a net margin of 11.22% and a return on equity of 8.81%. The firm had revenue of $2.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.12 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.42 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. PPL updated its FY 2025 guidance to 1.780-1.840 EPS.

PPL Trading Down 0.0%

PPL stock traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $36.49. The stock had a trading volume of 2,353,480 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,444,790. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $35.71. PPL has a 52 week low of $31.22 and a 52 week high of $38.26. The stock has a market cap of $26.98 billion, a PE ratio of 27.23, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 0.59 and a quick ratio of 0.49.

PPL Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 10th were given a dividend of $0.2725 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 10th. This represents a $1.09 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. PPL’s dividend payout ratio is presently 73.65%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on PPL from $40.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Wall Street Zen downgraded PPL from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, September 5th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of PPL in a research report on Monday, October 27th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $43.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of PPL in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $41.00 price objective on shares of PPL in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $40.73.

Institutional Trading of PPL

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of PPL. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in PPL by 64.9% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,695 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $159,000 after purchasing an additional 1,848 shares during the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of PPL by 6.9% during the second quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC now owns 5,299 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $180,000 after buying an additional 343 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in shares of PPL by 39.5% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 19,166 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $692,000 after acquiring an additional 5,428 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth raised its holdings in shares of PPL by 13.0% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 26,861 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $971,000 after acquiring an additional 3,084 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Woodline Partners LP lifted its stake in PPL by 40.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 62,375 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,252,000 after acquiring an additional 18,057 shares during the period. 76.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About PPL

PPL Corporation, an energy company, focuses on providing electricity and natural gas to approximately 3.6 million customers in the United States. It operates through three segments: Kentucky Regulated, Pennsylvania Regulated, and Rhode Island Regulated. The company delivers electricity to customers in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Rhode Island; delivers natural gas to customers in Kentucky and Rhode Island; and generates electricity from power plants in Kentucky.