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PPL (PPL) closed at $33.25 in the latest trading session, marking a +0.24% move from the prior day. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 1%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.78%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 1.51%.
The the stock of energy and utility holding company has risen by 3.59% in the past month, leading the Utilities sector's loss of 2.02% and the S&P 500's loss of 2.14%.
Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of PPL in its upcoming earnings disclosure. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $0.39, marking a 2.5% fall compared to the same quarter of the previous year. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $2.09 billion, reflecting a 3.01% rise from the equivalent quarter last year.
Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for PPL. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the company's business operations and its ability to generate profits.
Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.07% higher within the past month. PPL is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
In terms of valuation, PPL is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 18.09. This signifies a premium in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 16.52 for its industry.
We can also see that PPL currently has a PEG ratio of 2.68. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Utility - Electric Power industry held an average PEG ratio of 2.62.
The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 84, which puts it in the top 34% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.