AQR Capital Management LLC Increases Stock Position in PPL Corporation $PPL

Key Points

• AQR Capital Management LLC has increased its holdings in PPL Corporation by 8.4% during the first quarter, now owning 565,651 shares valued at approximately $20.4 million.
• PPL Corporation reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the last quarter, which was below analysts' expectations of $0.37 EPS, although its revenue increased by 7.7% year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.2725 per share, representing an annual yield of 3.0% and a dividend payout ratio of 81.34%.

AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in PPL Corporation (NYSE:PPL - Free Report) by 8.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 565,651 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 43,947 shares during the quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC owned 0.08% of PPL worth $20,426,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. CreativeOne Wealth LLC lifted its stake in PPL by 3.0% in the first quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 10,422 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $376,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. raised its holdings in shares of PPL by 16.0% in the 1st quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 2,207 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of PPL by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC now owns 12,998 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $469,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. lifted its position in shares of PPL by 5.0% during the 1st quarter. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. now owns 6,953 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $251,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WealthTrust Axiom LLC grew its stake in shares of PPL by 4.1% during the first quarter. WealthTrust Axiom LLC now owns 8,579 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $310,000 after purchasing an additional 337 shares in the last quarter. 76.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PPL Stock Performance

NYSE:PPL traded up $0.19 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $36.17. 2,841,568 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,876,618. PPL Corporation has a 1-year low of $31.22 and a 1-year high of $37.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a 50-day moving average of $36.02 and a 200 day moving average of $35.17.

PPL (NYSE:PPL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The utilities provider reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $2.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.99 billion. PPL had a return on equity of 8.81% and a net margin of 11.22%.PPL's quarterly revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.38 EPS. PPL has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.750-1.870 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that PPL Corporation will post 1.83 EPS for the current year.

PPL Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 10th will be paid a $0.2725 dividend. This represents a $1.09 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 10th. PPL's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 81.34%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on PPL. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of PPL in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. Barclays raised PPL from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded PPL from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, September 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $36.70.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO David J. Bonenberger sold 2,165 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.86, for a total transaction of $77,636.90. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 45,560 shares in the company, valued at $1,633,781.60. This represents a 4.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.28% 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.