PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL) Stock Position Lifted by Crewe Advisors LLC

Crewe Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL) by 32.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 7,039 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,718 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLC’s holdings in PPL were worth $228,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PPL. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in PPL by 195.5% during the third 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 in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in PPL during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton grew its position in PPL by 1,092.2% during the fourth quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 1,216 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 1,114 shares in the last quarter. Newton One Investments LLC purchased a new position in PPL during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd grew its position in PPL by 139.2% during the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,512 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 880 shares in the last quarter. 76.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PPL Price Performance

NYSE:PPL opened at $33.94 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $25.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.30, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.83. PPL Co. has a one year low of $25.35 and a one year high of $35.15. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $32.89 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 1.07.

PPL Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 10th were issued a $0.2575 dividend. This represents a $1.03 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 10th. PPL’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 91.97%.

Insider Buying and Selling at PPL

In other PPL news, COO David J. Bonenberger sold 981 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.48, for a total value of $32,843.88. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 45,414 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,520,460.72. The trade was a 2.11 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider John R. Crockett III sold 9,161 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.35, for a total transaction of $314,680.35. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 12,434 shares in the company, valued at $427,107.90. This trade represents a 42.42 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 19,794 shares of company stock valued at $661,338 in the last 90 days. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of PPL from $34.00 to $33.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of PPL from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of PPL in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $36.00 target price for the company. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of PPL from $31.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of PPL in a research note on Friday, October 25th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $37.00 target price for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.00.

About PPL

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.