Enhancing Capital LLC Purchases Shares of 20,880 PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL)

Enhancing Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 20,880 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $678,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in PPL. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of PPL in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $273,000. KBC Group NV grew its stake in shares of PPL by 4.9% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 60,729 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,009,000 after purchasing an additional 2,817 shares in the last quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC increased its holdings in PPL by 1.9% in the third quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 23,662 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $783,000 after buying an additional 451 shares during the last quarter. ING Groep NV purchased a new stake in PPL during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,189,000. Finally, OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of PPL by 12.8% during the 3rd quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 8,231 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $272,000 after acquiring an additional 936 shares in the last quarter. 76.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PPL Trading Up 0.8 %

NYSE PPL opened at $35.19 on Tuesday. PPL Co. has a one year low of $25.93 and a one year high of $35.91. The firm has a market cap of $25.98 billion, a PE ratio of 29.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.76. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $33.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $33.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.86.

PPL (NYSE:PPL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.03). PPL had a net margin of 10.49% and a return on equity of 8.88%. The company had revenue of $2.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.09 billion. Analysts expect that PPL Co. will post 1.83 earnings per share for the current year.

PPL Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a $0.2725 dividend. This represents a $1.09 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.10%. This is a positive change from PPL’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. PPL’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 90.08%.

Insider Buying and Selling at PPL

In related news, insider John R. Crockett III sold 1,589 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.12, for a total value of $52,627.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 10,845 shares in the company, valued at $359,186.40. This trade represents a 12.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, COO David J. Bonenberger sold 981 shares of the business’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 owns 45,414 shares in the company, valued at $1,520,460.72. The trade was a 2.11 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 5,140 shares of company stock valued at $173,005. 0.22% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays raised their target price on PPL from $33.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Citigroup raised shares of PPL from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 10th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of PPL in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $36.00 target price for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of PPL from $39.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.70.

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.