PPL (NYSE:PPL) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.03 EPS

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

PPL Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE PPL traded down $0.14 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $34.39. 7,092,201 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,327,544. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.29. PPL has a 52-week low of $25.87 and a 52-week high of $35.15. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $32.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $32.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.38 billion, a PE ratio of 30.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.83.

PPL Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 10th were paid a dividend of $0.2575 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 10th. This represents a $1.03 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.00%. PPL’s dividend payout ratio is presently 91.97%.

Insider Activity at PPL

In other news, SVP Tadd J. Henninger sold 1,424 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.48, for a total value of $47,675.52. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 11,259 shares in the company, valued at approximately $376,951.32. This represents a 11.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider John R. Crockett III sold 9,161 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.35, for a total transaction of $314,680.35. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 12,434 shares in the company, valued at $427,107.90. The trade was a 42.42 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 19,794 shares of company stock valued at $661,338. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on PPL shares. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on PPL in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $36.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of PPL from $39.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of PPL from $31.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of PPL from $34.00 to $33.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of PPL in a research report on Friday, October 25th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $37.00 target price for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $34.00.

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.