PPL (NYSE:PPL) Sets New 1-Year High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• PPL Corporation's shares reached a new 52-week high at $37.96 during trading, marking an increase from the previous close of $37.44, with a significant trading volume of 469,662 shares.
• Despite the stock's high price, multiple analysts have issued mixed ratings, with Wall Street Zen downgrading the stock to "sell," while Evercore ISI has given it an "outperform" rating with a target price of $43.00.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.2725 per share, which translates to an annual yield of 2.9%, maintaining a payout ratio of 81.34%.

Shares of PPL Corporation (NYSE:PPL - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $37.96 and last traded at $37.84, with a volume of 469662 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $37.44.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on PPL shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of PPL from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, September 5th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of PPL from $39.00 to $38.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of PPL in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of PPL from $37.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of PPL in a report on Monday, October 6th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $38.20.

PPL Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $27.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.22, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.66. 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 company's 50 day moving average price is $36.46 and its 200 day moving average price is $35.44.

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 company had revenue of $2.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.99 billion. PPL had a net margin of 11.22% and a return on equity of 8.81%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.38 EPS. PPL has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.750-1.870 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that PPL Corporation will post 1.83 earnings per share for the current year.

PPL Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 10th were given a dividend of $0.2725 per share. This represents a $1.09 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 10th. PPL's payout ratio is 81.34%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO David J. Bonenberger sold 2,165 shares of PPL stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.86, for a total transaction of $77,636.90. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 45,560 shares in the company, valued at $1,633,781.60. This trade represents a 4.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of PPL

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. increased its stake in shares of PPL by 141.0% in the first quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 723 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 423 shares during the last quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates bought a new stake in shares of PPL in the third quarter worth $30,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its stake in PPL by 94.3% during the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 818 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 397 shares during the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC increased its stake in PPL by 8,350.0% during the first quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 845 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 835 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in PPL during the first quarter valued at $32,000. Institutional investors own 76.99% of the company's stock.

About PPL

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.

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