PPL(US:PPL) ZACKSยท2025-07-07 16:50Core Viewpoint - PPL Corporation (PPL) is experiencing growth driven by increased demand from data centers, particularly in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, despite its stock underperforming compared to the broader utility industry [1][2][23]. Group 1: Performance and Demand - PPL shares have gained 4.2% year-to-date, while the Zacks Utility-Electric Power industry has rallied 8.9% [1]. - The company is benefiting from nearly 11 gigawatts (GW) of potential data center demand, with an estimated transmission capital investment of $700 million to $850 million [6]. - Active data center requests in Pennsylvania have surged to 50 GW for the 2026-2034 period, while Kentucky has announced a 400 megawatt (MW) hyperscale data center campus [6]. Group 2: Strategic Initiatives - PPL is focusing on infrastructure construction projects for generation, transmission, and distribution, resulting in fewer outages for customers [4]. - The company is implementing its "Utility of the Future" strategy, which includes an IT transformation to standardize operations and enhance grid resilience against weather risks [5]. - PPL plans to invest $20 billion from 2025 through 2028 to meet rising demand and improve service quality [7][9]. Group 3: Financial Outlook - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates PPL's earnings per share (EPS) will increase by 7.69% in 2025 and 7.97% in 2026 [11]. - PPL has a history of beating earnings estimates, with an average surprise of 8.84% over the last four quarters [13]. - The company aims to reduce operating and maintenance costs by at least $150 million by 2025 and $175 million by 2026 to enhance margins [10]. Group 4: Dividend and Valuation - PPL plans to increase its annual dividend by 6-8% through at least 2028, with a current quarterly dividend of 27.25 cents per share [16]. - The targeted dividend payout ratio is expected to be in the range of 60-65% [17]. - PPL's trailing 12-month return on equity (ROE) is 9.14%, lower than the industry average of 10.31% [19].