FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company based in Akron, Ohio. It is one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, with 10 regulated subsidiaries. The company has small regulated generating capacity, under 4,000 MW. FE's focus is on transmission and distribution; however, the company has been selling portions of its transmission business and expects about 20% of 2024 earnings to be from transmission operations. The company serves 6 million customers, including 2.3 million in Ohio, 1.8 million in Pennsylvania, and 2 million more in other mid-Atlantic states. FE does not have natural gas operations, and regulated electricity distribution accounted for about 85% of total 2023 revenues. FE's generation mix is carbon-neutral nuclear (53%), scrubbed baseload coal (35%), natural gas and oil (4%), and pumped-storage hydro and other renewables (8%). We believe that the company is at a disadvantage versus its peers given its heavy reliance on coal generation. FE has pledged to reduce GHG emissions by 30% (from its 2019 baseline) by 2030 and to become carbon-neutral by 2050. The company was implicated in a bribery scandal in 2020 that resulted in a $230 million penalty. It has also been found liable for improper customer charges, resulting in a $306 million settlement with Ohio regulators. Although insurance could mitigate some expenses, FE will be liable for substantial credits to customers and settlement payouts over the next two years.

As earnings season progresses, insiders are still nowhere near to giving an 'all clear' signal for the stock market. Insider selling activity across the Nasdaq, NYSE, and ASE outpaced buying activity by a factor of nearly 4.00 over the past week, this on a scale where anything above 2.50 is bearish. Still, longer-term readings from Vickers Stock Research have improved over the past several weeks, with the Total Eight-Week Sell/Buy Ratio falling to 4.25 from last week's 4.67, as well as from the mid-March high of 5.73. This calming in the eight-week ratios suggests insiders prepared themselves for the volatility we've seen of late and are now in a less-defensive but still-cautious posture.

FirstEnergy is an investor-owned holding company with 10 regulated distribution utilities across six mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states. FirstEnergy also owns and operates one of the nation's largest electric transmission systems.

FirstEnergy is an investor-owned holding company with 10 regulated distribution utilities across six mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states. FirstEnergy also owns and operates one of the nation's largest electric transmission systems.