FirstEnergy Corporation $FE Position Lessened by M&T Bank Corp

Key Points

• M&T Bank Corp cut its stake in FirstEnergy by 94.8% in Q4, selling 146,927 shares and leaving 8,093 shares valued at $362,000, a sign of significant institutional trimming.
• FirstEnergy raised its quarterly dividend to $0.465 (annualized $1.86) for a 4.0% yield, though the dividend payout ratio is high at 96.74%.
• The company reported Q results of $0.72 EPS (in line with estimates) and revenue of $4.01B (up 11.6% YoY and above consensus), set FY2026 EPS guidance of 2.62–2.82, and carries a consensus analyst view of "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $51.92.

M&T Bank Corp decreased its stake in FirstEnergy Corporation (NYSE:FE - Free Report) by 94.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,093 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 146,927 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp's holdings in FirstEnergy were worth $362,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its stake in FirstEnergy by 30.1% during the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 1,149 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its stake in FirstEnergy by 77.2% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 244,799 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $10,960,000 after acquiring an additional 106,668 shares in the last quarter. VCI Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in FirstEnergy during the 4th quarter valued at $1,021,000. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in FirstEnergy by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC now owns 14,999 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $671,000 after acquiring an additional 427 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sterling Investment Counsel LLC bought a new stake in FirstEnergy during the 4th quarter valued at $251,000. Institutional investors own 89.41% of the company's stock.

FirstEnergy Stock Down 1.3%

FE opened at $46.91 on Friday. FirstEnergy Corporation has a one year low of $39.28 and a one year high of $52.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 0.52. The stock's fifty day moving average is $50.33 and its 200-day moving average is $47.69. The company has a market capitalization of $27.13 billion, a PE ratio of 25.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.48.

FirstEnergy (NYSE:FE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The utilities provider reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.72. FirstEnergy had a return on equity of 10.66% and a net margin of 6.86%.The company had revenue of $4.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.80 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.67 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. FirstEnergy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.620-2.820 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that FirstEnergy Corporation will post 2.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

FirstEnergy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 7th will be paid a $0.465 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 7th. This represents a $1.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.0%. This is a boost from FirstEnergy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. FirstEnergy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 96.74%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on FirstEnergy from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on FirstEnergy from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Scotiabank reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of FirstEnergy in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of FirstEnergy in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $55.00 target price on shares of FirstEnergy in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, FirstEnergy presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $51.92.

Insider Transactions at FirstEnergy

In other news, Director James F. Oneil sold 7,945 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.60, for a total value of $402,017.00. Following the sale, the director owned 1,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $94,571.40. The trade was a 80.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Jon Taylor K. sold 26,800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.94, for a total value of $1,365,192.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 119,552 shares in the company, valued at $6,089,978.88. This represents a 18.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 39,118 shares of company stock valued at $1,989,532. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

About FirstEnergy

FirstEnergy Corp. NYSE: FE is a U.S.-based electric utility holding company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. The company's primary business is the delivery of electricity through its regulated transmission and distribution utilities, serving residential, commercial and industrial customers across parts of the Midwest and Mid‑Atlantic. FirstEnergy's service territory includes states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and West Virginia, and it operates primarily within the PJM regional transmission organization.

FirstEnergy's core activities center on owning and operating electric distribution networks and transmission systems, maintaining and upgrading grid infrastructure, managing storm response and restoration, and offering customer programs that include energy efficiency and reliability services.

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