PPL (NYSE:PPL – Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Friday. The utilities provider reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by ($0.01), FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $2.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.19 billion. PPL had a return on equity of 9.41% and a net margin of 13.09%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.32 EPS. PPL updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.900-1.980 EPS.
Here are the key takeaways from PPL’s conference call:
- PPL reaffirmed its 2026 earnings outlook of $1.90–$1.98 per share, with stronger second-half results expected following Pennsylvania and Rhode Island rate increases.
- The company plans approximately $5 billion of 2026 capital investment and continues to target more than 10% average annual rate-base growth through 2029, alongside 6%–8% annual EPS growth.
- Data-center demand continues to accelerate, with about 32 GW of signed agreements in Pennsylvania, including more than 11 GW under financially binding electric service agreements; PPL said two facilities began taking service during the quarter.
- Invitium Energy, PPL’s joint venture with Blackstone, has more than 5 GW of combined-cycle gas generation accepted into the PJM queue and is targeting one or more commercial agreements by year-end, potentially adding significant investment and earnings upside beyond the current plan.
- Kentucky’s probability-weighted expected load growth increased to 3.7 GW by 2032, making an additional generation CPCN filing likely by year-end; potential resources could represent $3.5 billion–$4 billion of incremental investment, though the precise mix and regulatory outcome remain uncertain.
PPL Stock Performance
Shares of PPL stock traded up $0.85 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $35.47. 10,658,512 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,797,979. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $35.81 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $36.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 1.00. PPL has a 12-month low of $33.17 and a 12-month high of $40.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.57.
PPL Dividend Announcement
Key Stories Impacting PPL
Here are the key news stories impacting PPL this week:
- Positive Sentiment: PPL reported second-quarter ongoing EPS of $0.33, up from $0.32 a year earlier, while revenue rose 4.2% to $2.11 billion. Management also reaffirmed its 2026 EPS guidance of $1.90–$1.98, broadly in line with the $1.95 analyst consensus. PPL Corporation Delivers Solid Second-Quarter 2026 Earnings
- Positive Sentiment: Management pointed to continued power-demand growth, including expanding data-center demand, as well as new rates, clean-energy investment and other initiatives supporting its long-term growth outlook. What to Expect From These 2 Utility Stocks This Season?
- Neutral Sentiment: Reported GAAP EPS was $0.30, while ongoing EPS was $0.33. The company’s net margin was 13.09% and return on equity was 9.41%, indicating steady profitability but limited upside from the quarter alone. PPL Posts Strong Q2 Results
- Negative Sentiment: Higher costs pressured results: ongoing EPS of $0.33 missed estimates ranging from $0.34 to $0.35, and revenue of $2.11 billion fell short of expectations near $2.19–$2.21 billion. PPL Q2 Earnings Miss Estimates on Higher Costs
- Negative Sentiment: Analyst commentary cautions that PPL’s slower dividend growth and premium valuation could limit further upside, particularly after the stock’s underperformance over the past year. PPL Corporation’s Slower Dividend Growth Limits Upside
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
PPL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of PPL in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on PPL from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Barclays raised their target price on PPL from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on PPL from $39.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on PPL from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, PPL currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $41.67.
Insider Activity
In other PPL news, Director Kristen Robinson sold 37,107 shares of PPL stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.05, for a total transaction of $929,530.35. Following the transaction, the director owned 222,897 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,583,569.85. The trade was a 14.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Ashley F. Johnson sold 34,993 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.08, for a total value of $772,645.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 561,482 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,397,522.56. The trade was a 5.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Institutional Trading of PPL
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PPL. Rossby Financial LCC lifted its position in PPL by 70.0% during the 4th quarter. Rossby Financial LCC now owns 3,012 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $105,000 after acquiring an additional 1,240 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of PPL by 64.9% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,695 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $159,000 after purchasing an additional 1,848 shares during the period. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of PPL in the third quarter valued at approximately $173,000. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of PPL by 6.9% during the second quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC now owns 5,299 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $180,000 after purchasing an additional 343 shares during the last quarter. Finally, von Borstel & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of PPL during the third quarter worth approximately $235,000. 76.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About PPL
PPL Corporation is an energy company that owns and operates electric transmission and distribution infrastructure and provides related customer services. The company’s core business centers on delivering electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers through regulated utility operations, maintaining grid reliability, responding to outages and managing customer billing and account services.
PPL’s activities include construction and maintenance of distribution and transmission lines, meter and grid management, and programs to support energy efficiency and the interconnection of distributed resources.
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