PPL Corp (PPL): Today's Featured Utilities Laggard

PPL (PPL) pushed the Utilities sector lower today making it today's featured Utilities laggard. The sector as a whole closed the day down 0.8%. By the end of trading, PPL fell 30 cents (-1%) to $28.90 on light volume. Throughout the day, 3.3 million shares of PPL exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 4.8 million shares. The stock ranged in price between $28.90-$29.25 after having opened the day at $29.20 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $29.20. Other company's within the Utilities sector that declined today were: Aqua America (WTR), down 3.9%, Ocean Power Technologies (OPTT), down 3.6%, Calpine (CPN), down 3.2%, and Chesapeake Utilities (CPK), down 3%.

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PPL Corporation, an energy and utility holding company, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity to wholesale and retail customers in the United States and the United Kingdom. PPL has a market cap of $16.92 billion and is part of the utilities industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 10.4, equal to the average utilities industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 0.7% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday. Currently there are three analysts that rate PPL a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and nine rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates PPL as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, notable return on equity, good cash flow from operations, compelling growth in net income and increase in stock price during the past year. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had generally poor debt management on most measures that we evaluated.

• You can view the full PPL Ratings Report.

On the positive front, GreenHunter Energy (GRH), up 3.9%, Active Power (ACPW), up 2.4%, Ellomay Capital (ELLO), up 1.8%, and National Electricity Company of Chile (EOC), up 1.5%, were all gainers within the utilities sector with ITC Holdings (ITC) being today's featured utilities sector leader.

• Use our utilities section to find sector-relevant news.
• Or find some new ideas from our top rated stocks lists.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the utilities sector could consider Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU) while those bearish on the utilities sector could consider ProShares UltraShort Utilities (SDP).

• Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.

For more information on PPL Corp click any of the following:

• PPL Corp Stock Price

• PPL Corp Analyst Ratings

• PPL Corp Key Stats & Profile

• PPL Corp Earnings

• PPL Corp Ratio Comparison

• PPL Corp Growth Rates

• PPL Corp Balance Sheet

• PPL Corp Cash Flow

• PPL Corp Income Statement