Allentown, Pennsylvania-based PPL Corporation (PPL) provides electricity and natural gas to approximately 3.6 million customers in the United States. The company has a market cap of $28.1 billion and operates through Kentucky Regulated, Pennsylvania Regulated, and Rhode Island Regulated segments.
PPL shares have lagged behind the broader market over the past year, grown 2.1% compared to the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) 31.4% surge. Moreover, in 2026, the stock has risen nearly 5.3%, lagging behind the SPX’s 7.6% rise as well.
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Focusing on its industry benchmark, the State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) has risen 13.5% over the past year, outperforming the stock. In 2026, as well, XLB surged 7.1% and has rallied the stock.
On Feb. 23, PPL stock declined marginally following the release of its Q4 2025 earnings, which were worse than expected. The company’s revenue came in at $2.3 billion, failing to touch the Street’s forecasts. Moreover, its adjusted EPS amounted to $0.4, which also did not surpass Wall Street estimates. PPL expects full-year earnings to be $1.90 to $1.98 per share.
For the current year, which ends in December, analysts expect PPL’s EPS to rise 7.7% to $1.56 on a diluted basis. The company surpassed the consensus estimate in two of the last four quarters, while missing on two occasions.
Among the 16 analysts covering PPL stock, the consensus is a “Strong Buy.” That’s based on 11 “Strong Buy” ratings, one “Moderate Buy,” and four “Holds.”
This configuration has remained mostly stable in recent months.
On Mar. 23, Morgan Stanley analyst David Arcaro set a “Buy” rating for PPL stock and increased its price target from $42 to $44.
PPL’s mean price target of $42.40 indicates a premium of 15% from the current market prices. Its Street-high target of $48 suggests a robust 30.2% upside potential from current price levels.
On the date of publication, Aritra Gangopadhyay did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com