PPL Corporation PPL reported first-quarter 2026 operating earnings per share (EPS) of 63 cents, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 61 cents by 4.1%. In the year-ago quarter, the company reported earnings of 60 cents.
On a GAAP basis, PPL recorded EPS of 60 cents compared with 56 cents in the year-ago quarter. The difference in GAAP and operating EPS in the first quarter was due to the impacts of 3 cents from special items.
PPL’s Revenues
Total revenues of $2.77 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.62 billion by 5.9%. The top line also increased 10.8% from the year-ago figure of $2.5 billion.
PPL Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
PPL Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | PPL Corporation Quote
Highlights of PPL’s Q1 Release
In the first quarter, the company sold 18,268 gigawatt hours of electricity to its customers in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, reflecting a year-over-year decrease of 0.6%.
Total operating expenses were $2.03 billion, up 11.1% from the year-ago quarter’s $1.83 billion. This was due to a decrease in energy purchases.
Operating income totaled $745 million, up 9.9% from the year-ago figure of $678 million.
Interest expenses amounted to $224 million, up 17.9% from $190 million in the corresponding period of 2025.
PPL’s Segmental Updates
Pennsylvania Regulated: Adjusted EPS was 25 cents, which came in line with the year-ago figure.
Kentucky Regulated: Adjusted EPS was 33 cents compared with 30 cents in the year-ago quarter. The year-over-year increase in earnings was driven by higher income from retail rates that became effective on Jan. 1, 2026.
Rhode Island Regulated: Adjusted EPS was 10 cents, similar to the year-ago figure.
Corporate and Other: The segment incurred a loss of 5 cents per share, which came in line with the year-ago figure.
PPL’s Financial Position
As of March 31, 2026, PPL had cash and cash equivalents of $1.24 billion compared with $1.07 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025.
The long-term debt was $19.02 billion as of March 31, 2026 compared with $17.99 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025.
Net cash provided by operating activities in the first three months of 2026 was $557 million compared with $513 million in the year-ago period.
PPL’s Guidance
PPL expects 2026 earnings to be in the range of $1.90-$1.98 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $1.95, higher than the midpoint of the company’s guided range. PPL expects a long-term annual earnings growth rate of 6-8% through 2029.
The company expects its guidance for planned infrastructure investments to be $23 billion for 2026-2029.
PPL’s Zacks Rank
The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Recent Releases
Evergy, Inc. EVRG reported first-quarter 2026 operating EPS of 69 cents, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 63 cents by 9.5%. In the year-ago quarter, the company reported earnings of 55 cents.
Quarterly revenues totaled $1.44 billion, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.41 billion by 2.2%. In the year-ago quarter, the company posted revenues of $1.37 billion.
Edison International EIX reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $1.42 per share, which outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.32 by 7.6%. The bottom line also increased 3.6% from $1.37 in the year-ago quarter.
Edison International's first-quarter operating revenues totaled $4.1 billion, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.99 billion by 2.8%. The top line also increased 7.7% from the year-ago quarter’s figure of $3.81 billion.
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. CNP reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of 56 cents per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 58 cents by 3.8%. However, the bottom line increased 5.7% from 53 cents in the year-ago quarter.
CNP generated revenues of $2.98 billion, which lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.04 billion by 1.4%. However, the top line improved 2% from the year-ago reported figure of $2.92 billion.
Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge Gains
Quantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.
While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.
Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power .
Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.
See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
PPL Corporation (PPL): Free Stock Analysis Report
Edison International (EIX): Free Stock Analysis Report
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP): Free Stock Analysis Report
Evergy Inc. (EVRG): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).