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AEP vs. PPL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated

Here’s a clear look at AEP and PPL, comparing key factors like performance, valuation metrics, dividends, and financial strength. It’s built for investors or anyone curious to see how these two stocks match up.

Company Overview

AEP dominates in value with a market cap of 54.98 billion USD, eclipsing PPL’s 25.43 billion USD by roughly 2.16×.

PPL carries a higher beta at 0.72, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AEP remains steadier at 0.43.

SymbolAEPPPL
Company NameAmerican Electric Power Company, Inc.PPL Corporation
CountryUSUS
SectorUtilitiesUtilities
IndustryRegulated ElectricRegulated Electric
CEOMr. William J. FehrmanMr. Vincent Sorgi CPA
Price102.93 USD34.395 USD
Market Cap54.98 billion USD25.43 billion USD
Beta0.430.72
ExchangeNASDAQNYSE
IPO DateJanuary 2, 1962March 17, 1980
ADRNoNo

Performance Comparison

This chart compares the performance of AEP and PPL over the past year by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each (starting one year ago).

Hover over the lines to see the investment’s value and total return (%) at specific dates.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

Valuation Metrics Comparison

The section examines key financial ratios to assess the valuation of AEP and PPL based on earnings, cash flow, sales, and book value. Pay attention to the following notable points where extreme values stand out.

  • AEP and PPL both consumed more free cash flow than they generated last year—P/FCF of -42.33 and -59.00, respectively—highlighting persistent liquidity pressure.
SymbolAEPPPL
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)19.8625.53
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)2.923.39
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)2.732.94
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)2.011.78
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)-42.33-59.00
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)13.9914.31
EV-to-Sales (TTM)5.044.93
EV-to-Free Cash Flow (TTM)-78.25-99.10

Dividend Comparison

Both AEP and PPL offer similar dividend yields (3.57% vs. 3.04%), indicating comparable approaches to balancing income and growth.

SymbolAEPPPL
Dividend Yield (TTM)3.57%3.04%

Financial Strength Metrics Comparison

This section dives into the financial resilience of AEP and PPL, spotlighting key metrics like liquidity, leverage, and debt coverage. Check out the standout observations below where notable differences or extremes pop up.

  • With current ratios of 0.42 and 0.00, both AEP and PPL have less current assets than short-term liabilities, which could strain their working capital and force reliance on additional financing.
  • Both AEP (quick ratio 0.31) and PPL (quick ratio 0.00) fall below 0.8, meaning their most liquid assets—excluding inventory—aren’t enough to meet short-term obligations. This could force them to rely on receivables, inventory turn, or external financing.
SymbolAEPPPL
Current Ratio (TTM)0.420.00
Quick Ratio (TTM)0.310.00
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)1.721.21
Debt-to-Assets Ratio (TTM)0.450.00
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)2.302.51