PPL (PPL) Dips More Than Broader Market: What You Should Know

In the latest close session, PPL (PPL) was down 1.33% at $35.49. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a loss of 0.13% for the day. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 0.27%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.07%. The energy and utility holding company's stock has dropped by 0.75% in the past month, falling short of the Utilities sector's loss of 0.17% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.71%.The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of PPL in its upcoming release. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $0.49, signifying a 16.67% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $2.19 billion, up 6.11% from the prior-year quarter. For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $1.82 per share and revenue of $8.67 billion, which would represent changes of +7.69% and +2.5%, respectively, from the prior year. It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for PPL. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential. Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system. The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.09% downward. Currently, PPL is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). In the context of valuation, PPL is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 19.82. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 17.92, which means PPL is trading at a premium to the group. One should further note that PPL currently holds a PEG ratio of 2.58. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. As the market closed yesterday, the Utility - Electric Power industry was having an average PEG ratio of 2.69. The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 74, putting it in the top 30% of all 250+ industries. The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1. Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions. 3 Stocks Poised to Lead the AI Software RaceThe software market is expected to witness a remarkable growth trajectory worldwide. Advancements in AI, increased demand for cybersecurity, and the rapid expansion of automation and robotics is offering investors an opportunity to unlock significant growth right now.Which software stocks will soar? Which will fizzle out? Find out in our urgent special report, Software is Eating the World. It examines where the software industry stands now and reveals three favorite software stocks to ownAccess the report free today >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report PPL Corporation (PPL): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks