Vanguard Group Inc. Has $3.05 Billion Stock Holdings in FirstEnergy Corporation $FE

Key Points

• Vanguard increased its stake in FirstEnergy to 68,109,341 shares (about 11.79%) valued at roughly $3.05 billion after buying 761,157 shares in Q4.
• FirstEnergy reported Q1 core EPS of $0.72 and revenue of ~$4.01B (+11.6% y/y), and management reaffirmed FY‑2026 guidance of $2.62–$2.82 while unveiling a multi‑year capital plan (~$6B in 2026; $36B for 2026–2030).
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.465 (annualized $1.86, ~3.8% yield), and analysts hold a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $51.92.

Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in FirstEnergy Corporation (NYSE:FE - Free Report) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 68,109,341 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 761,157 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 11.79% of FirstEnergy worth $3,049,255,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. American National Bank & Trust boosted its stake in shares of FirstEnergy by 380.2% in the 3rd quarter. American National Bank & Trust now owns 581 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 460 shares in the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new position in FirstEnergy during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC lifted its position in FirstEnergy by 187.5% during the 3rd quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 621 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in FirstEnergy during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Finally, Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new position in FirstEnergy during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.41% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FE has been the topic of several research reports. Barclays upped their price target on shares of FirstEnergy from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of FirstEnergy in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. They set a "hold" rating and a $56.00 price target on the stock. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of FirstEnergy from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $50.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of FirstEnergy from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of FirstEnergy from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $51.92.

Key FirstEnergy News

Here are the key news stories impacting FirstEnergy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results: FirstEnergy reported core EPS of $0.72 (GAAP $0.70) and revenue of ~$4.0–4.2B, with revenue up ~11.6% year‑over‑year — results that met/beat expectations and signal underlying demand strength. FirstEnergy Q1 Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Data‑center load and higher rates boosted profit: Reuters reports Q1 profit rose ~12.5%, citing higher electricity rates and increased demand from data centers — a structural demand driver that can support future revenue and margin stability. Reuters: Profit Rises on Rates, Data‑Center Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed FY‑2026 guidance and an aggressive capital plan: the company reiterated core EPS guidance of $2.62–$2.82 and a multi‑year capital investment program (~$6B in 2026; $36B for 2026–2030), signaling confidence in growth and regulated investment opportunities. PR Newswire: Q1 Results & Reaffirms Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance context: the FY‑2026 EPS range (2.62–2.82) roughly brackets the street consensus (~2.73). That means limited surprise to upside from guidance alone — supportive but not a clear beat. Guidance in Q1 Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings met consensus: several outlets note EPS of $0.72 matched estimates — a reassuring result but not an upside surprise. Zacks: Q1 Earnings Meet Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Minor ESG/community item: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania held an Arbor Day/tree giveaway event — positive for community relations but immaterial for near‑term stock movement. PR Newswire: Tree Giveaway

FirstEnergy Stock Performance

FirstEnergy stock opened at $49.60 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83. FirstEnergy Corporation has a 1 year low of $39.28 and a 1 year high of $52.34. The company has a market cap of $28.69 billion, a PE ratio of 28.18, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.60. The company's 50-day moving average is $50.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $47.68.

FirstEnergy (NYSE:FE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The utilities provider reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.72. FirstEnergy had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 10.50%. The company had revenue of $4.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.95 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.67 EPS. The company's 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. Equities analysts anticipate that FirstEnergy Corporation will post 2.73 earnings per share for the current year.

FirstEnergy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 7th will be given a dividend of $0.465 per share. This represents a $1.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 7th. This is a boost from FirstEnergy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. FirstEnergy's dividend payout ratio is currently 101.14%.

Insider Buying and Selling at FirstEnergy

In related news, CFO Jon Taylor K. sold 26,800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.94, for a total value of $1,365,192.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 119,552 shares in the company, valued at $6,089,978.88. This trade represents a 18.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director James F. Oneil sold 7,945 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.60, for a total transaction of $402,017.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 1,869 shares in the company, valued at $94,571.40. This represents a 80.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 39,118 shares of company stock worth $1,989,532. Company 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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