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PPL (PPL) Advances While Market Declines: Some Information for Investors

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PPL (PPL - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $37.86, moving +1.12% from the previous trading session. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.16%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.44%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.76%.

The stock of energy and utility holding company has risen by 4.09% in the past month, leading the Utilities sector's gain of 1.48% and the S&P 500's gain of 1.14%.

Market participants will be closely following the financial results of PPL in its upcoming release. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $0.45, reflecting a 7.14% increase from the same quarter last year. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $2.19 billion, indicating a 5.99% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.

PPL's full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates are calling for earnings of $1.86 per share and revenue of $8.67 billion. These results would represent year-over-year changes of +10.06% and +2.43%, respectively.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for PPL. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. 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, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 2.26% higher. Right now, PPL possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In terms of valuation, PPL is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 20.17. This represents a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 19.12.

It is also worth noting that PPL currently has a PEG ratio of 2.75. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. PPL's industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.85 as of yesterday's close.

The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 61, finds itself in the top 25% echelons of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow PPL in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.


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