FirstEnergy (NYSE:FE) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Meets Expectations

Key Points

• Q1 results: FirstEnergy reported core EPS of $0.72 (in line with estimates) and revenue of $4.01 billion, up 11.6% year‑over‑year, and set FY2026 core EPS guidance of $2.62–$2.82.
• Dividend raised: The quarterly dividend was increased to $0.465 ($1.86 annualized) for a ~3.8% yield, though the payout ratio is about 105.7%.
• Ownership and trading: Insiders sold 39,118 shares (~$1.99M) in the quarter while institutional investors own ~89.41% of the stock; shares traded roughly flat, up ~0.3% on the day.

FirstEnergy (NYSE:FE - Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The utilities provider reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.72, FiscalAI reports. FirstEnergy had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 10.50%. The company had revenue of $4.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.95 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.67 EPS. FirstEnergy's revenue for the quarter was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. FirstEnergy updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.620-2.820 EPS.

FirstEnergy Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE FE traded up $0.16 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $49.60. 4,778,123 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,613,799. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83, a current ratio of 0.57 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $50.37 and a 200 day simple moving average of $47.66. The stock has a market cap of $28.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.18, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.60. FirstEnergy has a 1-year low of $39.28 and a 1-year high of $52.34.

FirstEnergy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 7th will be paid a $0.465 dividend. This represents a $1.86 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%. This is a positive change from FirstEnergy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 7th. FirstEnergy's payout ratio is 105.68%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Jon Taylor K. sold 26,800 shares of the firm'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 transaction, the chief financial officer owned 119,552 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,089,978.88. This trade represents a 18.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director James F. Oneil sold 7,945 shares of the company'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 $94,571.40. This trade represents a 80.96% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 39,118 shares of company stock worth $1,989,532 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of FirstEnergy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in FE. BROOKFIELD Corp ON purchased a new position in FirstEnergy during the fourth quarter worth about $110,332,000. Boston Partners increased its stake in FirstEnergy by 13.5% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 18,344,403 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $841,161,000 after buying an additional 2,185,400 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in FirstEnergy by 56.0% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,506,251 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $246,515,000 after buying an additional 1,977,504 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in shares of FirstEnergy by 128.5% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 3,275,409 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $150,079,000 after buying an additional 1,841,946 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of FirstEnergy by 5,885.7% during the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,251,001 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $57,321,000 after buying an additional 1,230,101 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.41% of the company's stock.

More FirstEnergy News

Here are the key news stories impacting FirstEnergy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 profit rise driven by higher rates and data‑center demand — Reuters notes FirstEnergy reported a ~12.5% increase in quarterly profit, citing higher electricity rates and rising demand from power‑hungry data centers as major drivers behind the beat. FirstEnergy's quarterly profit rises on higher rates, data-center demand
• Positive Sentiment: Company reaffirms guidance and capital plan — FirstEnergy reported Q1 GAAP $0.70 and Core (non‑GAAP) $0.72, revenue of ~$4.2B, said it invested ~$1.4B in the quarter and reaffirmed its FY‑2026 Core EPS range and multi‑year capital program that supports growth. This underpins near‑term cash flow visibility and rate base growth. FirstEnergy Announces First Quarter 2026 Financial Results, Reaffirms Guidance and Capital Plan
• Positive Sentiment: Core EPS and revenue modestly above estimates — MarketBeat/press materials show Core EPS of $0.72 (vs. consensus ~$0.71) and revenue slightly above estimates, supporting the share‑price uptick. View Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings met consensus per some outlets — Zacks reports Q1 EPS of $0.72 in line with its consensus, highlighting that results were broadly as expected rather than a clear outperformance. FirstEnergy (FE) Q1 Earnings Meet Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor reaction focused on data‑center load growth — Coverage ahead of/around the print emphasized growing data‑center demand as a structural tailwind, but investors are watching how sustainable that incremental load and rate recovery will be. How Investors Are Reacting To FirstEnergy (FE) Data Center Load Growth Ahead of Q1 2026 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: GAAP vs. Core reporting nuance — Some reports (TipRanks/PR) note GAAP EPS of $0.70 vs. Core $0.72; the distinction matters for analysts modeling normalized earnings. FirstEnergy Posts Strong Q1 Earnings and Reaffirms 2026 Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Local community/ESG activity — FirstEnergy Pennsylvania’s tree giveaway is positive PR but unlikely to move the stock. Plant it Forward: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Celebrates Earth and Arbor Days
• Negative Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance range slightly mixed — management set Core EPS guidance of $2.62–$2.82 versus a consensus near $2.73; the range contains the consensus but the lower bound is modestly conservative, which may temper upside for estimates and is likely why some investors parsed the print cautiously. FirstEnergy Announces First Quarter 2026 Financial Results, Reaffirms Guidance and Capital Plan

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FE has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barclays raised their price target on shares of FirstEnergy from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of FirstEnergy in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Mizuho set a $51.00 target price on FirstEnergy in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Wolfe Research raised FirstEnergy from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $50.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Scotiabank reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of FirstEnergy in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, FirstEnergy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $51.92.

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.