Analyzing PPL (NYSE:PPL) and Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG)

Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG) and PPL (NYSE:PPL) are both large-cap utilities companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, dividends, earnings and risk.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

73.3% of Public Service Enterprise Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 77.0% of PPL shares are held by institutional investors. 0.2% of Public Service Enterprise Group shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of PPL shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Public Service Enterprise Group and PPL’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Public Service Enterprise Group	17.77%	12.62%	3.74%
PPL	12.16%	9.08%	3.06%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Public Service Enterprise Group and PPL”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Public Service Enterprise Group	$10.29 billion	3.90	$1.77 billion	$4.16	19.32
PPL	$8.46 billion	3.04	$888.00 million	$1.48	23.52

Public Service Enterprise Group has higher revenue and earnings than PPL. Public Service Enterprise Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than PPL, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Public Service Enterprise Group and PPL, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Public Service Enterprise Group	0	5	9	0	2.64
PPL	0	2	8	2	3.00

Public Service Enterprise Group currently has a consensus target price of $90.96, suggesting a potential upside of 13.20%. PPL has a consensus target price of $41.20, suggesting a potential upside of 18.37%. Given PPL’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe PPL is more favorable than Public Service Enterprise Group.

Volatility & Risk

Public Service Enterprise Group has a beta of 0.59, suggesting that its share price is 41% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, PPL has a beta of 0.69, suggesting that its share price is 31% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends

Public Service Enterprise Group pays an annual dividend of $2.52 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.1%. PPL pays an annual dividend of $1.09 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.1%. Public Service Enterprise Group pays out 60.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. PPL pays out 73.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Public Service Enterprise Group has raised its dividend for 14 consecutive years and PPL has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years. Public Service Enterprise Group is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Summary

Public Service Enterprise Group beats PPL on 11 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Public Service Enterprise Group

Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated, through its subsidiaries, operates in electric and gas utility business in the United States. It operates through PSE&G and PSEG Power segments. The PSE&G segment transmits electricity; distributes electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers; and appliance services and repairs to customers through its service territory, as well as invests in solar generation projects, and energy efficiency and related programs. The PSEG Power segment engages in nuclear generation businesses; and supplies power and natural gas to nuclear power plants and gas storage facilities activities. As of December 31, 2023, it had electric transmission and distribution system of 25,000 circuit miles and 866,600 poles; 56 switching stations with an installed capacity of 39,953 megavolt-amperes (MVA), and 235 substations with an installed capacity of 10,382 MVA; 109 MVA aggregate installed capacity for substations; four electric distribution headquarters and five electric sub-headquarters; 18,000 miles of gas mains, 12 gas distribution headquarters, two sub-headquarters, and one meter shop, as well as 56 natural gas metering and regulating stations; and 158 MegaWatts defined conditions of installed PV solar capacity. Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated was founded in 1903 and is based in Newark, New Jersey.

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. PPL Corporation was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania.