FirstEnergy Corporation (NYSE:FE) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Moderate Buy consensus from 13 analysts (7 buy, 6 hold) with an average 12‑month target price of $51.92.
• Q1 results: core EPS $0.72 (in line) and revenue $4.01B (beat), with revenue up ~11.6% y/y; management reaffirmed FY‑2026 guidance of $2.62–$2.82 and a ~ $36B capital plan, citing higher regulated rates and data‑center load growth.
• Dividend and governance notes: the quarterly dividend was raised to $0.465 (annualized $1.86, ~3.8% yield) despite a payout ratio of ~101%, and insiders have recently trimmed positions (CFO sold 26,800 shares), which investors may monitor.

Shares of FirstEnergy Corporation (NYSE:FE - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the thirteen research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $51.9231.

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wolfe Research raised shares of FirstEnergy from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $50.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Scotiabank reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of FirstEnergy in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of FirstEnergy in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $56.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of FirstEnergy from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Mizuho set a $51.00 target price on shares of FirstEnergy in a research note on Thursday, February 19th.

More FirstEnergy News

Here are the key news stories impacting FirstEnergy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results: Core EPS matched expectations at $0.72 and revenue came in above consensus (roughly $4.0B vs $3.95B), with year‑over‑year revenue growth of ~11.6%—a near-term earnings confirmation for investors. FirstEnergy Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Demand drivers: FirstQuarter profit rose ~12.5%, driven by higher regulated rates and stronger load from data centers—both structural positives for near‑term topline and rate base growth. FirstEnergy Reuters
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed FY‑2026 core earnings guidance (range $2.62–$2.82) and reiterated a multi‑year capital plan (~$36B through 2030), signaling continued investment that supports regulated earnings growth. FirstEnergy PR Newswire
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance context: The FY‑2026 core EPS range overlaps consensus (~$2.73); the range gives upside and downside scenarios, so analysts will watch execution and regulatory outcomes. Guidance Details
• Neutral Sentiment: Accounting note: GAAP EPS was $0.70 while reported Core (non‑GAAP) EPS was $0.72—small reconciling items that investors should monitor but that do not change the underlying operational message. GAAP vs Core
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor interest: Coverage highlights focused on accelerated data‑center load growth ahead of earnings—a demand trend investors view positively but whose sustainability depends on contract/regulatory outcomes. Yahoo Finance
• Neutral Sentiment: Community/PR: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania ran local Arbor Day/community programs—earnings drivers are regulatory and load trends, while community initiatives are reputational. Community PR

FirstEnergy Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE:FE opened at $49.60 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $28.69 billion, a PE ratio of 28.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83. FirstEnergy has a 52-week low of $39.28 and a 52-week high of $52.34. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $50.37 and a 200-day simple moving average of $47.68.

FirstEnergy (NYSE:FE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The utilities provider reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.72. The business had revenue of $4.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.95 billion. FirstEnergy had a return on equity of 10.50% and a net margin of 6.76%.The business's revenue was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.67 EPS. FirstEnergy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.620-2.820 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that FirstEnergy will post 2.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

FirstEnergy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, May 7th will be paid a $0.465 dividend. This represents a $1.86 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 7th. This is a positive change from FirstEnergy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. FirstEnergy's dividend payout ratio is presently 101.14%.

Insider Activity at FirstEnergy

In related news, CFO Jon Taylor K. sold 26,800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 119,552 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,089,978.88. The trade was a 18.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Jason Lisowski sold 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.84, for a total transaction of $152,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,176 shares of the company's stock, valued at $364,827.84. The trade was a 29.48% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 39,118 shares of company stock valued at $1,989,532. 0.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of FirstEnergy

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in FirstEnergy by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 5,381 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $241,000 after buying an additional 213 shares during the period. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC grew its holdings in FirstEnergy by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 4,677 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $209,000 after buying an additional 223 shares during the period. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. grew its holdings in FirstEnergy by 44.4% in the 1st quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 754 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 232 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in FirstEnergy by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 5,181 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $232,000 after buying an additional 235 shares during the period. Finally, Independent Advisor Alliance grew its holdings in FirstEnergy by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 23,225 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,064,000 after buying an additional 236 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.41% of the company's stock.

FirstEnergy Company Profile

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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