Atria Investments Inc Boosts Holdings in PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL)

Atria Investments Inc boosted its position in PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL) by 30.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 67,393 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 15,761 shares during the quarter. Atria Investments Inc’s holdings in PPL were worth $2,229,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its holdings in shares of PPL by 195.5% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 780 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 516 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of PPL during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new position in PPL in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Lynx Investment Advisory purchased a new stake in PPL during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Family Firm Inc. bought a new stake in shares of PPL in the second quarter worth $38,000. 76.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PPL Price Performance

Shares of PPL stock opened at $33.23 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $32.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $30.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.67, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.81. PPL Co. has a 1-year low of $25.35 and a 1-year high of $33.60.

PPL (NYSE:PPL) last released its earnings results on Friday, November 1st. The utilities provider reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42. The firm had revenue of $2.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.10 billion. PPL had a return on equity of 9.20% and a net margin of 9.95%. The company’s revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that PPL Co. will post 1.72 earnings per share for the current year.

PPL Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th were paid a $0.2575 dividend. This represents a $1.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.10%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 10th. PPL’s dividend payout ratio is 91.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on PPL shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of PPL from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 16th. Bank of America boosted their target price on PPL from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of PPL in a report on Thursday, September 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $38.00 target price on the stock. Barclays increased their price target on PPL from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on PPL from $31.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, PPL presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $35.50.

PPL Company Profile

PPL Corporation, an energy company, focuses on providing electricity and natural gas to approximately 3.6 million customers in the United States. It operates through three segments: Kentucky Regulated, Pennsylvania Regulated, and Rhode Island Regulated. The company delivers electricity to customers in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Rhode Island; delivers natural gas to customers in Kentucky and Rhode Island; and generates electricity from power plants in Kentucky.