Analysts Set PPL Corporation (NYSE:PPL) Price Target at $36.70

Key Points

• PPL Corporation has received an average consensus rating of "Buy" from ten research firms, with a target price of $36.70.
• The company reported a quarterly earnings miss with earnings per share of $0.32, below the $0.37 expectation, yet achieved revenue growth of 7.7% year-over-year.
• PPL announced a quarterly dividend of $0.2725, resulting in an annualized dividend yield of 3.0%.

PPL Corporation (NYSE:PPL - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Buy" from the nine ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $36.6667.

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded PPL from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, September 5th. Barclays raised PPL from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of PPL in a report on Thursday, August 21st.

PPL Stock Up 0.2%

PPL traded up $0.06 on Friday, hitting $35.55. 4,142,505 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,412,748. The company has a market cap of $26.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $36.13 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $35.18. PPL has a twelve month low of $31.22 and a twelve month high of $37.38.

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

PPL Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 10th will be issued a $0.2725 dividend. This represents a $1.09 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 10th. PPL's payout ratio is presently 81.34%.

Insider Buying and Selling at PPL

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

Institutional Trading of PPL

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in PPL. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of PPL by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 14,476 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $470,000 after purchasing an additional 698 shares during the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of PPL by 6.5% in the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 38,113 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,237,000 after purchasing an additional 2,317 shares during the last quarter. Ethic Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of PPL in the 4th quarter valued at about $254,000. Focus Partners Wealth raised its stake in PPL by 11.9% during the 4th quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 23,777 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $772,000 after acquiring an additional 2,531 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its stake in PPL by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 81,732 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $2,655,000 after acquiring an additional 1,691 shares during the last quarter. 76.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.