FirstEnergy Corp., through its subsidiaries, generates, transmits, and distributes electricity in the United States. It operates through Regulated Distribution and Regulated Transmission segments. The company owns and operates coal-fired, nuclear, hydroelectric, wind, and solar power generating facilities. It operates 24,080 circuit miles of overhead and underground transmission lines; and electric distribution systems, including 274,518 miles of overhead pole line and underground conduit carrying primary, secondary, and street lighting circuits. The company serves approximately 6 million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. FirstEnergy Corp. was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Akron, Ohio.

FirstEnergy Corp.

Utility service providers benefit from a number of positive factors, including increased electricity tariffs, accretive acquisitions, cost reductions and the deployment of energy-efficiency initiatives. The power industry also benefits from ongoing efforts to increase the resilience of electric infrastructure to unfavorable weather conditions and the ongoing transition to inexpensive, renewable energy sources for the generation of electricity.
The maintenance and improvement of utilities' current infrastructure heavily rely on capital expenditures. These expenditures go toward updating, modernizing and repairing assets. In order to meet the growing demand for data centers, utility providers are investing in output enhancement.
As a result of the transition to renewable energy, electric utilities in the United States are becoming more than just revenue generators. Climate measures and federal incentives are changing the utilities sector. The utilities leading this shift are well-positioned to grow gradually, providing investors with a low-risk avenue to participate in the expanding clean energy sector.
With the increasing clean energy market and rising demand from data centers, utility companies like PPL Corporation PPL and FirstEnergy FE are becoming attractive investment options. Both companies are major regulated electric utilities that are making strategic investments in grid infrastructure upgrades.
PPL’s Perspective
PPL continues to benefit from its focus on infrastructure construction projects for generation, transmission and distribution. Customers have been experiencing far less outages, courtesy of the company’s initiative to further strengthen its infrastructure. PPL is focused on more robust engineering and construction specifications to strengthen and automate the grid to mitigate increasing weather and storm risks. These measures will increase the resilience of its service and allow it to serve rising demand from customers efficiently.
In the Pennsylvania segment, nearly 14.4 gigawatts (GW) (up from 11 GW) of potential data center demand are in the advanced stages, representing a potential transmission capital investment of $0.75-$1.25 billion (up from $700-$850 million). Active data center requests have increased to 50 GW for the 2026-2034 period. In the Kentucky segment, the Economic development queue holds total potential load growth of 8.5 GW, which includes active data center requests of 6 GW from 2026 to 2032 and 3 GW of manufacturing and other non-data center load.
FE’s Perspective
FirstEnergy expanded its regulated activities and underwent a complete transition to become a fully regulated utility company in the past few years. Compared to the previous year, FirstEnergy is benefiting from better economic conditions and increased demand from commercial and industrial organizations. This is expected to boost it top line. FirstEnergy is set for data center development across its footprint.
FirstEnergy's projected long-term pipeline demand (beyond 2029) for data center load has grown more than 80% since February 2025, now totaling 11.1 GW. Furthermore, the contracted data center load expected through 2029 has increased around 25% to 2.7 GW, suggesting assured revenues from current agreements.
Let's compare the two stocks' fundamentals to find out which one is a better investment pick at present.
How Do Zacks Estimates Compare for PPL & FE?
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PPL’s 2025 and 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates an increase of 7.69% and 8.33%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FirstEnergy's 2025 and 2026 EPS indicates a decrease of 3.8% and an increase of 6.72%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PPL & FE’s Return on Equity (ROE)
ROE measures how efficiently a company is utilizing its shareholders’ funds to generate profits. PPL’s current ROE is 8.81% compared with FirstEnergy's 11.31%. FE outperforms the industry’s average ROE of 10.14%.
PPL & FE’s Strategic Investment Plans
PPL continues to make investments to strengthen the grid, electricity and gas distribution, electricity transmission and expand clean energy generation capacity. It expects a regulated capital investment plan of $20 billion during 2025-2028. The capital investment for 2025 and 2026 is expected to be $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, respectively.
FirstEnergy's ‘Energize365’ is a multi-year grid evolution platform, focused on enhancing customer experience while maintaining its strong affordability position with rates at or below its in-state peers. It has planned investments of $28 billion between 2025 and 2029. The company expects its 2025 capital investment to be $5 billion, which suggests an increase of 11.1% from the prior-year level.
PPL & FE’s Dividend Yield
Utility companies generally distribute dividends and increase shareholders’ value. Currently, the dividend yield for PPL is 2.97% compared with the Zacks S&P 500 Composite’s average of 1.16%, and the same for FirstEnergy is 4.09%.
Debt Position of PPL & FE
The debt-to-capital ratio is a vital indicator of the financial position of a company. The indicator shows the amount of debt used to run a business. PPL and FirstEnergy have a debt-to-capital of 55.47% and 64.56%, respectively, compared with the industry’s 59.75%.
Currently, the times interest earned (TIE) ratio for PPL is 2.6, and the same for FE is 2.7. Both companies have maintained their TIE ratio at more than 1 for over a decade now. This indicates that they have enough financial flexibility to meet their near-term debt obligations.
PPL or FE: Which Is a Better Pick Right Now?
In order to increase service reliability, PPL and FirstEnergy benefit from their strategic infrastructure investments. Both stocks are set to take advantage of the increasing demand from data centers.
However, our choice at the moment is PPL, given its better debt management and growth in earnings estimates. Both PPL and FE stocks carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
One Big Gain, Every Trading Day
To help you take full advantage of this market, you’re invited to access every stock recommendation in all our private portfolios - for just $1.
Zacks private portfolio services that closed 256 double and triple-digit winners in 2024 alone. That’s about one big gain every day the market was open. Of course, not all our picks are winners, but members have seen recent gains as high as +627% +1,340%, and +1,708%.
Imagine how much you could profit with a steady stream of real-time picks from all our services that cover a number of strategies to suit a variety of investing and trading styles.
See 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
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

PPL vs. FirstEnergy: Which Utility Stock Powers Up Stronger Returns?

Investors in FirstEnergy Corp (Symbol: FE) saw new options become available today, for the January 2027 expiration. One of the key data points that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 518 days until expiration the newly available contracts represent a possible opportunity for sellers of puts or calls to achieve a higher premium than would be available for the contracts with a closer expiration. At Stock Options Channel, our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the FE options chain for the new January 2027 contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest.
The put contract at the $40.00 strike price has a current bid of $2.05. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $40.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $37.95 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of FE, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $43.38/share today.
Because the $40.00 strike represents an approximate 8% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 67%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 5.12% return on the cash commitment, or 3.61% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost.
Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for FirstEnergy Corp, and highlighting in green where the $40.00 strike is located relative to that history:
Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the call contract at the $47.00 strike price has a current bid of $1.95. If an investor was to purchase shares of FE stock at the current price level of $43.38/share, and then sell-to-open that call contract as a "covered call," they are committing to sell the stock at $47.00. Considering the call seller will also collect the premium, that would drive a total return (excluding dividends, if any) of 12.84% if the stock gets called away at the January 2027 expiration (before broker commissions). Of course, a lot of upside could potentially be left on the table if FE shares really soar, which is why looking at the trailing twelve month trading history for FirstEnergy Corp, as well as studying the business fundamentals becomes important. Below is a chart showing FE's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $47.00 strike highlighted in red:
Considering the fact that the $47.00 strike represents an approximate 8% premium to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the covered call contract would expire worthless, in which case the investor would keep both their shares of stock and the premium collected. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 54%. On our website under the contract detail page for this contract, Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change and publish a chart of those numbers (the trading history of the option contract will also be charted). Should the covered call contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 4.50% boost of extra return to the investor, or 3.17% annualized, which we refer to as the YieldBoost.
The implied volatility in the put contract example is 27%, while the implied volatility in the call contract example is 24%.
Meanwhile, we calculate the actual trailing twelve month volatility (considering the last 250 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $43.38) to be 21%. For more put and call options contract ideas worth looking at, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
Also see:
STQN Insider Buying
VOT Options Chain
PAYA Stock Predictions
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Interesting FE Put And Call Options For January 2027

Eversource Energy ES continues to benefit from its focus to strengthen the infrastructure that assists the company in providing reliable services to its electricity and natural gas customers. ES also gains from the expansion of its renewable operations.
However, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company faces risks related to substandard performance from third parties and stringent regulations.
Factors Acting in Favor of Eversource
Eversource Energy is currently focused on upgrading its electric distribution and transmission infrastructure. The company expects a capital investment of $24.2 billion during 2025-2029, out of which it plans to invest nearly $16.2 billion in electric and natural gas distribution networks and $6.8 billion in the electric transmission segment.
ES will invest nearly $2 billion in the replacement of aging infrastructure, $1.5 billion in the cable underground program, $1 billion in substation development and $0.5 billion in clean energy through 2028. It is working on one of the most innovative low-growth solutions in Cambridge, MA. The $1.5-$1.6 billion Cambridge underground substation is the first of its kind in the United States.
In January 2025, ES announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Aquarion Water Company to the Aquarion Water Authority for $2.4 billion. By effectively reinvesting resources into its core electric and natural gas operations, Eversource will be able to pay down parent company debt with the proceeds of the sale. This should further strengthen its financial position and allow for greater investments in customer reliability.
Headwinds for ES
Eversource outsources certain business functions to third-party suppliers and service providers. Substandard performance by these third parties could harm its business, reputation and results of operations.
The company’s operations are subject to federal, state and local legislative requirements, as well as extensive environmental regulations, relating to the emission of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide, air and water pollution and waste management. Any modification in existing regulations and introduction of new mandates could adversely impact the financial performance of the company.
Utilities Strengthen Transmission & Distribution Systems
In addition to increasing reliability and customer satisfaction, utility companies are making strategic investments in their transmission and distribution infrastructure to take advantage of the opportunities brought about by the expansion of data centers and the larger shift to cleaner energy.
Along with ES, other electric power companies like FirstEnergy FE, NextEra Energy NEE and PPL Corporation PPL are also focused on strengthening their infrastructure.
With planned investments of $28 billion between 2025 and 2029, FirstEnergy will install advanced equipment and technologies that will strengthen and modernize its transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Strengthening of the transmission and renewable generation assets will allow FirstEnergy to transmit electricity even during adverse weather conditions and provide emission-free electricity to customers.
NextEra Energy stands at the forefront of the U.S. clean energy transition, with its vast network of transmission and distribution lines serving as a critical pillar of the long-term growth strategy.
NextEra Energy’s subsidiary, Florida Power & Light, plans to invest nearly $21.7 billion in transmission and distribution projects from 2025 to 2029 to support customer growth and continue hardening the energy grid. This will allow the company to supply power to customers, even during storms.
PPL is investing heavily in upgrading its transmission and distribution infrastructure, including smart grid technologies like advanced metering and automated switching. This leads to a more reliable and resilient energy grid, reducing the frequency and duration of power outages.
From 2025 to 2028, PPL intends to invest $20 billion to upgrade infrastructure and improve service quality. The capital investment for 2025 and 2026 is expected to be $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, respectively.
See our %%CTA_TEXT%% report – free today!
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
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
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Eversource Benefits From Grid Upgrades & Clean Energy Expansion

PPL Corporation PPL is benefiting from its focus on transmission and distribution through enhanced grid reliability, capacity for increased energy demand and opportunities for strategic investments. This initiative to improve infrastructure, particularly in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, is driving earnings growth and improving customer satisfaction.
The transmission and distribution upgrades enable PPL to handle increased energy demand, especially from data centers and other industries, positioning it to capitalize on future growth opportunities.
PPL is investing heavily in upgrading its transmission and distribution infrastructure, including smart grid technologies like advanced metering and automated switching. This leads to a more reliable and resilient energy grid, reducing the frequency and duration of power outages. From 2025 to 2028, PPL intends to invest $20 billion to upgrade infrastructure and improve service quality. The capital investment for 2025 and 2026 is expected to be $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, respectively.
Since 2012, investments in stronger infrastructure have led to a 93% decrease in outage frequency, 89% fewer lightning-related outages and 64% fewer equipment failures (all stats compare 2023 to 2012). PPL is the first U.S. utility to fully integrate Dynamic Line Rating (“DLR”) technology into real-time and market operations. DLR enables real-time performance adjustments to deliver more power over existing lines, reducing congestion and deferring costly infrastructure upgrades.
PPL is strategically leveraging its transmission and distribution infrastructure to capitalize on the opportunities presented by data center growth and the broader transition to a cleaner energy future, while also improving reliability and customer satisfaction.
Utilities Strengthening Transmission & Distribution
Some other utility companies that are also focused on improving their transmission and distribution systems have been discussed below.
FirstEnergy FE: With planned investments of $28 billion between 2025 and 2029, the company will install advanced equipment and technologies that will strengthen and modernize its transmission and distribution infrastructure.
NextEra Energy’s NEE subsidiary, Florida Power & Light, plans to invest nearly $21.7 billion in transmission and distribution projects from 2025 to 2029 to support customer growth and continue hardening the energy grid. This will allow the company to provide power to customers even during storms.
PPL’s Earnings Estimates
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 and 2026 EPS indicates an increase of 7.69% and 8.33%, respectively, year over year.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PPL Stock Trading at a Premium
PPL is trading at a premium relative to the industry, with a forward 12-month price-to-earnings of 19.32X compared with the industry average of 15.04X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PPL Stock Price Performance
In the past three months, PPL’s shares have risen 9.1% compared with the industry’s 3.1% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
PPL’s Zacks Rank
PPL currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
See our %%CTA_TEXT%% report – free today!
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
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
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Will PPL's Infrastructure Upgrades Boost Its Reliability & Earnings?

Dominion Energy Inc. D delivered second-quarter 2025 operating earnings of 75 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 69 cents by 8.7%. The bottom line increased 15.4% from the year-ago quarter's level.
GAAP earnings were 88 cents per share compared with 64 cents in the year-ago quarter. The differences between GAAP and operating earnings for the period primarily reflect gains and losses from nuclear decommissioning trust funds, the mark-to-market impact of economic hedging activities and other non-operational adjustments.
Revenues of Dominion Energy
Revenues of $3.81 billion beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.64 billion by 4.5%. The top line also increased 9.3% from $3.49 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Dominion Energy Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Highlights of D’s Q2 Release
Total operating expenses rose 1.2% year over year to $2.71 billion due to an increase in other operations and maintenance expenses, and electric fuel and other energy-related purchases compared with the year-ago period.
Dominion Energy registered attractive customer growth across its Virginia and South Carolina service areas and commercial load growth driven by data centers.
Interest and related charges in the quarter were up 7.5% year over year.
Operating net earnings in the reported quarter were $649 million, up 14.5% year over year.
Segmental Details of Dominion Energy
Dominion Energy Virginia: Net income was $549 million, up 13.2% year over year.
Dominion Energy South Carolina: Net income of $109 million increased 58% on a year-over-year basis.
Contracted Energy: Net income of $47 million decreased 53% from $100 million in the year-ago quarter.
Corporate and Other: Net loss of $56 million was narrower than the loss of $87 million in the prior-year quarter.
Dominion Energy’s Financial Highlights
Current assets as of June 30, 2025, were $344 million compared with $310 million as of Dec. 31, 2024.
Total long-term debt as of June 30, 2025, was $35.9 billion, up from $33.03 billion as of Dec. 31, 2024.
In the first half of 2025, cash provided from operating activities was $2.42 billion compared with $2.84 billion in the year-ago period.
Guidance of Dominion Energy
Dominion Energy reiterated its 2025 operating earnings guidance to $3.28-$3.52 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $3.39 per share, which is a tad lower than the midpoint of the guided range.
D reiterated its long-term annual operating earnings growth guidance of 5-7% from 2025 operating earnings per share (EPS). The company expects to invest $50 billion in the 2025-2029 time period.
Dominion Energy’s Zacks Rank
Currently, Dominion Energy has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Other Releases
NextEra Energy, Inc. NEE reported second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings of $1.05 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.02 by 2.9%. The bottom line was also up nearly 9.4% year over year.
NEE’s long-term (three-to-five years) earnings growth rate is 7.89%. It delivered an average earnings surprise of 3.51% in the last four quarters.
American Electric Power Company, Inc. AEP reported second-quarter 2025 operating EPS of $1.43, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.28 by 11.7%. The bottom line inched up 14.4% from $1.25 recorded in the year-ago quarter.
AEP’s long-term earnings growth rate is 6.43%. It delivered an average earnings surprise of 6.61% in the last four quarters.
FirstEnergy Corporation FE reported second-quarter 2025 adjusted EPS of 52 cents, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 50 cents by 4%.
FE’s long-term earnings growth rate is 6.43%. It delivered an average earnings surprise of 1.2% in the last four quarters.
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.
Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners Up
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
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Dominion Beats on Q2 Earnings & Revenues, Adds Customers

The best performing sector as of midday Thursday is the Industrial sector, up 0.7%. Within that group, eBay Inc. (Symbol: EBAY) and C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (Symbol: CHRW) are two large stocks leading the way, showing a gain of 18.4% and 18.2%, respectively. Among industrial ETFs, one ETF following the sector is the Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (Symbol: XLI), which is flat on the day on the day, and up 16.03% year-to-date. eBay Inc., meanwhile, is up 49.17% year-to-date, and C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. is up 12.92% year-to-date. CHRW makes up approximately 0.3% of the underlying holdings of XLI.
The next best performing sector is the Utilities sector, up 0.4%. Among large Utilities stocks, DTE Energy Co (Symbol: DTE) and FirstEnergy Corp (Symbol: FE) are the most notable, showing a gain of 1.7% and 1.5%, respectively. One ETF closely tracking Utilities stocks is the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU), which is up 0.2% in midday trading, and up 14.23% on a year-to-date basis. DTE Energy Co, meanwhile, is up 15.81% year-to-date, and FirstEnergy Corp is up 8.85% year-to-date. Combined, DTE and FE make up approximately 3.8% of the underlying holdings of XLU.
Comparing these stocks and ETFs on a trailing twelve month basis, below is a relative stock price performance chart, with each of the symbols shown in a different color as labeled in the legend at the bottom:
Here's a snapshot of how the S&P 500 components within the various sectors are faring in afternoon trading on Thursday. As you can see, two sectors are up on the day, while seven sectors are down.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Thursday Sector Leaders: Industrial, Utilities

BlackRock today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $5.21 per share of common stock, payable September 23, 2025 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 5, 2025.
On July 23, 2025, the IBM board of directors approved a regular quarterly cash dividend of $1.68 per common share, to stockholders of record on August 8, 2025. With payment of the September 10, 2025 dividend, IBM will have paid consecutive quarterly dividends every year since 1916.
Penske Automotive Group, a diversified international transportation services company and one of the world's premier automotive and commercial truck retailers, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a quarterly dividend of $1.32 per share, representing an increase of 4.8%, or $0.06 per share. This represents the Company's 19th consecutive quarterly increase. The dividend is payable September 3, 2025, to shareholders of record as of August 15, 2025.
Alexander & Baldwin today announced that its Board of Directors approved a third quarter 2025 dividend of $0.225 per share. The dividend is payable on October 7, 2025, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 12, 2025.
Bank of America today announced the Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend on Bank of America common stock of $0.28 per share, up $0.02 from the prior quarter. The dividend is payable on September 26, 2025 to shareholders of record as of September 5, 2025.
The Board of Directors of FirstEnergy today declared a quarterly dividend of $0.445 per share of outstanding common stock payable September 1, 2025, to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 7, 2025. Subject to continued Board approval, FirstEnergy expects to declare dividends totaling $1.78 per share in 2025. This compares to declared dividends of $1.70 per share in 2024 and represents an increase of more than 11% in annual dividend declarations since 2023.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Daily Dividend Report: BLK,IBM,PAG,ALEX,BAC,FE

FirstEnergy Corp (Symbol: FE) has been named as a Top 10 dividend paying utility stock, according to Dividend Channel, which published its weekly ''DividendRank'' report. The report noted that among utilities, FE shares displayed both attractive valuation metrics and strong profitability metrics. For example, the recent FE share price of $41.19 represents a price-to-book ratio of 1.9 and an annual dividend yield of 4.32% — by comparison, the average utility stock in Dividend Channel's coverage universe yields 3.5% and trades at a price-to-book ratio of 2.7. The report also cited the strong quarterly dividend history at FirstEnergy Corp, and favorable long-term multi-year growth rates in key fundamental data points.
The report stated, ''Dividend investors approaching investing from a value standpoint are generally most interested in researching the strongest most profitable companies, that also happen to be trading at an attractive valuation. That's what we aim to find using our proprietary DividendRank formula, which ranks the coverage universe based upon our various criteria for both profitability and valuation, to generate a list of the top most 'interesting' stocks, meant for investors as a source of ideas that merit further research.''
The annualized dividend paid by FirstEnergy Corp is $1.78/share, currently paid in quarterly installments, and its most recent dividend ex-date was on 08/07/2025. Below is a long-term dividend history chart for FE, which Dividend Channel stressed as being of key importance. Indeed, studying a company's past dividend history can be of good help in judging whether the most recent dividend is likely to continue.
Top Ten Hedge Funds Holding QVML
Institutional Holders of XTKG
ENGN Historical Stock Prices
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

FE Added as Top 10 Utility Dividend Stock With 4.32% Yield

NextEra Energy, Inc. NEE reported second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings of $1.05 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.02 by 2.9%. The bottom line was also up nearly 9.4% year over year.
The year-over-year improvement in earnings per share was due to solid financial and operational performance at two of its businesses.
GAAP earnings per share for the second quarter were 98 cents compared with 79 cents in the year-ago period.
NEE’s Total Revenues
In the second quarter, NextEra Energy’s operating revenues were $6.7 billion, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.22 billion by 7.28%. However, the top line improved 10.4% year over year.
NextEra Energy, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Segment Results of NEE
Florida Power & Light Company: The segment’s revenues amounted to nearly $4.71 billion, up 7.1% from the prior-year figure of $4.38 billion. Its earnings were 62 cents per share compared with 60 cents in the year-ago quarter.
NextEra Energy Resources: Its revenues amounted to $1.91 billion, up 16.4% from the prior-year figure of $1.64 billion. The segment’s earnings were 53 cents per share compared with 42 cents in the year-ago quarter.
Corporate and Other: Operating revenues for the reported quarter were $78 million compared with $35 million in the year-ago period. The operating loss in the second quarter was 10 cents per share, which was wider than the year-ago loss of 6 cents.
Highlights of NEE’s Release
Florida Power & Light Company’s (“FPL”) growth in the reported quarter was largely fueled by ongoing business investments. FPL recorded capital expenditures of around $2 billion during the quarter, with full-year capital investments projected to be between $8 billion and $8.8 billion.
The segment continues to operate and invest in the nation’s largest fleet of gas-fired power plants, along with four nuclear units in Florida. This diversified energy portfolio gives the company the flexibility to integrate cost-effective solar and storage solutions to meet the rising demand driven by the state’s growing population.
NextEra Energy Resources had a strong quarter for new renewables and storage origination, adding 3.2 gigawatts (“GW”) to its backlog, including more than 1 GW serving hyperscalers. With these additions, NextEra Energy Resources' backlog now totals nearly 30 GW after taking into account more than 1.1 GW of new projects placed into service since the first-quarter 2025 financial results call in April.
Financial Update of NEE
NEE had cash and cash equivalents of nearly $1.72 billion as of June 30, 2025, compared with $1.49 billion on Dec. 31, 2024.
Long-term debt, as of June 30, 2025, was $82.7 billion, up from $72.4 billion on Dec. 31, 2024.
Cash flow from operating activities in the first half of 2025 was $5.95 billion compared with $7.10 billion in the first half of 2024.
NextEra Energy’s Guidance
NEE reaffirmed its 2025 earnings guidance. The metric is expected in the range of $3.45-$3.70 per share. The midpoint of the guided range is $3.575 per share, down from the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.68.
NextEra Energy expects adjusted earnings per share for 2026 and 2027 to be in the range of $3.63 to $4.00 and $3.85 to $4.32, respectively. The company also continues to expect its earnings per share to grow at a roughly 6-8% range through at least 2027, off a 2024 base.
NEE’s unit, Energy Resources, currently aims to add 36,500-46,500 MW of renewable power projects to its portfolio in the 2024-2027 span.
NEE’s Zacks Rank
NextEra Energy carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Upcoming Releases
PG&E Corporation PCG is set to release second-quarter 2025 results on July 31. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings per share is pegged at 35 cents.
PCG’s long-term (three-to-five years) earnings growth rate is 8.95%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter earnings per share has declined 10.26% in the past 60 days.
Dominion Energy D is scheduled to announce second-quarter 2025 results on Aug. 1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 75 cents per share.
Dominion’s long-term earnings growth rate is estimated at 13.59%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter earnings per share indicates an increase of 36.36% from the year-earlier level.
FirstEnergy Corporation FE is scheduled to announce second-quarter 2025 results on July 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings per share is pegged at 53 cents.
FE’s long-term earnings growth rate is 6.43%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter earnings per share indicates a decline of 5.36% from the prior-year actual.
5 Stocks Set to Double
Each was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in the coming year. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +112%, +171%, +209% and +232%.
Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.
Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>
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
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

NextEra Energy's Q2 Earnings Surpass, Revenues Lag Estimates

FirstEnergy Corporation FE is scheduled to release second-quarter 2025 results on July 30, after market close. The company delivered an earnings surprise of 11.7% in the last reported quarter.
Let’s discuss the factors that are likely to be reflected in the upcoming quarterly results.
Factors That Might Have Impacted FE’s Q2 Performance
In June 2025, FirstEnergy’s subsidiary, Mon Power and Potomac Edison, completed its third utility-scale solar site in West Virginia to help meet the state's electricity needs. More than 17,000 solar panels produce up to 5.75 megawatts (MW) of renewable power at the Marlowe site in Berkeley County. This is likely to have a positive impact on the second-quarter results.
In May 2025, the company deployed the Advanced Light Detection and Ranging (“LiDAR”) technology across its service area to effectively manage hard-to-reach trees and vegetation along 7,100 miles of high-voltage power lines. The work will continue through the fall. This initiative is expected to have enhanced FE’s service reliability and boosted its performance in the to-be-reported quarter.
In April 2025, FirstEnergy’s subsidiary, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Company, completed the work to enhance its energy delivery system in Venango and Crawford counties to help prevent or minimize the length of service disruptions. The project included replacing more than 40 wood poles, crossarms, fuses, switches and other equipment on a power line key to the delivery of electricity to nearly 1,000 customers in Cochranton, Utica, Polk and nearby communities.
The company is expected to have continued to benefit from its ‘Energize365’ program, which is a multi-year grid evolution platform focused on enhancing customer experience while maintaining its strong affordability position with rates at or below its in-state peers.
However, severe storms in April 2025 produced significant, widespread damage due to heavy rain and excessive winds in many parts of the service area. Customers had lost power as a result of this. This might have resulted in higher operating expenses to restore the power, thereby offsetting some positives in the to-be-reported quarter.
FE’s Q2 Expectations
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 53 cents per share, indicating a year-over-year decrease of 5.4%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pinned at $3.43 billion, implying a 4.7% improvement year over year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for total electric distribution deliveries is pinned at 36,000.5 megawatt-hours, up 1.5% from the figure registered in the year-ago quarter.
What Our Quantitative Model Predicts
Our proven model does not predict an earnings beat for FirstEnergy this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here as you will see below.
FirstEnergy Corporation Price and EPS Surprise
Earnings ESP: The company’s Earnings ESP is -10.80%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Zacks Rank: Currently, FirstEnergy carries a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Stocks to Consider
Investors may consider the following players from the same industry as these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this reporting cycle.
Eversource Energy ES is likely to come up with an earnings beat when it reports second-quarter results on July 31. It has an Earnings ESP of +0.26% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.
ES’ long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 5.66%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pinned at 95 cents per share.
IDACORP IDA is likely to come up with an earnings beat when it reports second-quarter results on July 31. It has an Earnings ESP of +2.34% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.
IDA’s long-term earnings growth rate is 8.13%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pinned at $1.71 per share.
Xcel Energy XEL is likely to come up with an earnings beat when it reports second-quarter results on July 31. It has an Earnings ESP of +1.76% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.
XEL’s long-term earnings growth rate is 7.79%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pinned at 62 cents per share, which implies a year-over-year increase of 14.8%.
5 Stocks Set to Double
Each was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in the coming year. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +112%, +171%, +209% and +232%.
Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.
Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>
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
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Periodand min./max. price, $	Price change, %		Volatility, %		Volume, $
Periodand min./max. price, $	FE	Industry	FE	Industry	Volume, $
Yesterday 43.5 - 43.9	-1.97	1.09	0.56	1.16	96.96M
Week 42.7 - 44.1	-1.76	4.00	1.60	6.32	602.08M
Month 41.0 - 44.2	3.18	9.68	3.50	12.44	2.79B
3 Months 39.3 - 44.2	1.01	13.79	6.62	19.09	8.05B
6 Months 37.6 - 44.2	3.78	18.23	11.40	31.28	18.35B
Year 37.6 - 45.0	-1.17	28.83	20.66	40.66	26.89B
3 years 32.2 - 45.0	5.75	145.45	35.41	102.03	69.88B
5 years 26.2 - 48.9	50.74	129.92	47.10	122.60	119.44B
All time 18.0 - 84.0	47.50	476.20	—	—	123.67B

FirstEnergy Corp.

Price and volatility history

Risk ratios