PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $34.09.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on PPL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on PPL in a report on Friday, October 25th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $37.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of PPL from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 16th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on PPL in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $36.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of PPL from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of PPL from $39.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday.

PPL Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of PPL stock opened at $32.26 on Wednesday. PPL has a 52-week low of $25.35 and a 52-week high of $35.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.80 billion, a PE ratio of 28.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $33.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $31.23.

PPL (NYSE:PPL) last posted its earnings results on Friday, November 1st. The utilities provider reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42. The business had revenue of $2.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.10 billion. PPL had a net margin of 9.95% and a return on equity of 9.20%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.43 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that PPL will post 1.72 EPS for the current year.

PPL Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.2575 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 10th. This represents a $1.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.19%. PPL’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 91.96%.

Insider Buying and Selling at PPL

In other news, insider John R. Crockett III sold 9,161 shares of PPL stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.35, for a total transaction of $314,680.35. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 12,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $427,107.90. This trade represents a 42.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.22% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of PPL

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in PPL by 12.0% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 34,758,947 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,115,824,000 after purchasing an additional 3,731,412 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of PPL by 11.9% during the third quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 16,114 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $533,000 after buying an additional 1,710 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its holdings in shares of PPL by 32.3% during the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 41,169 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,362,000 after buying an additional 10,043 shares in the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of PPL by 85.7% during the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 111,288 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,834,000 after buying an additional 51,366 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co acquired a new stake in PPL in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $225,000. 76.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.