PPL (NYSE:PPL) Releases Earnings Results

PPL (NYSE:PPL) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.03), Zacks reports. The company had revenue of $2.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.09 billion. PPL had a net margin of 9.95% and a return on equity of 9.20%. PPL updated its FY 2025 guidance to 1.750-1.870 EPS.

PPL Price Performance

Shares of PPL stock traded down $0.65 on Friday, hitting $33.76. 7,404,344 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,134,931. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $32.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.57. PPL has a 1-year low of $25.87 and a 1-year high of $35.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17.

PPL Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.2725 per share. This is a boost from PPL’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.09 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.23%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. PPL’s payout ratio is currently 91.97%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on PPL shares. Barclays cut their price target on PPL from $34.00 to $33.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on PPL in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $36.00 price target for the company. Bank of America lifted their price target on PPL from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Citigroup lifted their price target on PPL from $31.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on PPL in a research note on Friday, October 25th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $37.00 price target for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.00.

Insider Transactions at PPL

In related news, COO David J. Bonenberger sold 981 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.48, for a total value of $32,843.88. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 45,414 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,520,460.72. This represents a 2.11 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Tadd J. Henninger sold 6,639 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.16, for a total value of $213,510.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 11,210 shares in the company, valued at $360,513.60. This represents a 37.20 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 19,794 shares of company stock worth $661,338 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

PPL Company Profile

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.