Valuation in Focus as Pennsylvania Regulators Launch Formal Review of Planned Rate Hike

In the wake of Edison International's (NYSE:EIX) latest US$910m market cap drop, institutional owners may be forced to take severe actions

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has put PPL (PPL)’s proposed annual revenue increase under review, pausing the company’s planned rate hike for nearly 1.5 million customers while a formal investigation unfolds.

See our latest analysis for PPL.

Shares of PPL have experienced a steady climb this year, with a 16.1% share price gain year-to-date and a robust 18.9% total shareholder return over the past twelve months. The recent regulatory developments, alongside upcoming earnings and prior progress in Kentucky, have kept investor sentiment leaning optimistic. Momentum appears to be building in the longer term, as reflected by a strong 56% three-year total shareholder return.

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After a sharp run-up in recent months, the key question now is whether PPL’s current valuation still offers room for upside, or if robust expectations have already priced in the next leg of growth. Is there a genuine buying opportunity left for investors?

PPL finished the trading session at $37.35 while the most widely followed narrative places its fair value noticeably higher. The market seems to be at odds with analysts on what the next leg looks like for the stock.

Major planned grid infrastructure upgrades and generation capacity expansions, totaling $20B through 2028 (with upside from potential data center-driven transmission and new generation projects), set the stage for nearly 10% average annual rate base growth. This directly supports higher regulated revenues and future earnings. The company’s new joint venture with Blackstone Infrastructure, targeting contracted, “regulated-like” generation for hyperscalers, provides a significant new avenue for capital deployment and value creation that is not yet fully captured in consensus. This has the potential to drive long-term earnings above base guidance as these projects come online.

Read the complete narrative.

Want to peek behind the curtain of this bullish valuation? A future profit jump and ambitious capital outlay are baked into the price. Can these bold projections really push PPL to new highs? The numbers behind this narrative might just surprise you.

Result: Fair Value of $39.92 (UNDERVALUED)

Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what’s behind the forecasts.

However, investors should be mindful that unexpected regulatory delays or slower than hoped demand growth could still put PPL’s bullish outlook at risk.

Find out about the key risks to this PPL narrative.

Looking at PPL through the lens of its price-to-earnings ratio, things appear far less optimistic. At 28x, it trades well above both industry (21.3x) and peer averages (18.7x). It also exceeds what our fair ratio model suggests is reasonable (23.8x). This premium suggests the market expects a lot, raising the stakes if growth slows. Could the current optimism be overextended?

See what the numbers say about this price — find out in our valuation breakdown.

NYSE:PPL PE Ratio as at Oct 2025

If these viewpoints don’t fully line up with your own, you can easily dive into the numbers yourself and shape your personal outlook. Often, this can be done in just a few minutes using our tools. Do it your way

A great starting point for your PPL research is our analysis highlighting 3 key rewards and 2 important warning signs that could impact your investment decision.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include PPL.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com

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