KEP vs. WEC: Korea Electric Power vs. WEC Energy Stock Comparison
How do Korea Electric Power (KEP) and WEC Energy (WEC) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Korea Electric Power (KEP) and WEC Energy (WEC) both fall under the Utilities industry group, but KEP is classified in Electric Utilities while WEC is classified in Multi-Utilities.
WEC Energy (WEC) trades as ordinary local shares, while Korea Electric Power (KEP) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | KEP | WEC |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Korea Electric Power Corporation Sponsored ADR | WEC Energy Group Inc. |
| Country/Region | South Korea | United States |
| GICS Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry Group | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry | Electric Utilities | Multi-Utilities |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Electric Utilities | Multi-Utilities |
| Market Capitalization | 14.38 billion USD | 38.12 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | October 27, 1994 | March 17, 1980 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | KEP | WEC |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -25.98% | 7.80% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 20.85% | 18.04% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 2.90% | 9.22% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | KEP | WEC |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 46.68% | 17.21% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.97 | 0.43 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -55.55% | -26.02% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 949.70K | 2.71M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | KEP | WEC |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.65 | 0.20 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.93 | 0.31 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Korea Electric Power (KEP) at 16.60% and WEC Energy (WEC) at 12.49% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
KEP
Utilities industry group
16.60%
- Max
- 17.99%
- KEP
- 16.60%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
WEC
Utilities industry group
12.49%
- Max
- 17.99%
- WEC
- 12.49%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
Net Margin (TTM)
WEC Energy (WEC) at 17.53% keeps a top-quartile share of each sales dollar as profit, while Korea Electric Power (KEP) at 8.04% keeps a bottom-quartile share.
KEP
Utilities industry group
8.04%
- Max
- 28.78%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- KEP
- 8.04%
- Min
- -0.20%
WEC
Utilities industry group
17.53%
- Max
- 28.78%
- WEC
- 17.53%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- Min
- -0.20%
Operating Margin (TTM)
WEC Energy (WEC) at 25.44% runs core operations around its industry’s norm, while Korea Electric Power (KEP) at 4.73% operates in the bottom quartile.
KEP
Utilities industry group
4.73%
- Max
- 53.83%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- Median
- 23.62%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- KEP
- 4.73%
- Min
- -4.90%
WEC
Utilities industry group
25.44%
- Max
- 53.83%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- WEC
- 25.44%
- Median
- 23.62%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- Min
- -4.90%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | KEP | WEC |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 16.60% | 12.49% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.04% | 3.08% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 8.04% | 17.53% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 4.73% | 25.44% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 15.97% | 42.36% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
WEC Energy (WEC) at 13.96% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Korea Electric Power (KEP) at 4.31% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for WEC.
EPS Growth
Korea Electric Power (KEP) at 144.73% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than WEC Energy (WEC) at -0.41%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | KEP | WEC |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 4.31% | 13.96% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 11.03% | 0.70% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 144.73% | -0.41% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 2.63% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Korea Electric Power (KEP) at 0.44 and WEC Energy (WEC) at 0.53 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.
KEP
Utilities industry group
0.44
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- Median
- 0.88
- Q1
- 0.66
- KEP
- 0.44
- Min
- 0.29
WEC
Utilities industry group
0.53
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- Median
- 0.88
- Q1
- 0.66
- WEC
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.29
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
WEC Energy (WEC) at 1.54 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Korea Electric Power (KEP) at 2.63 uses more debt funding than most peers.
KEP
Utilities industry group
2.63
- KEP
- 2.63
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
WEC
Utilities industry group
1.54
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- WEC
- 1.54
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | KEP | WEC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.44 | 0.53 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 2.63 | 1.54 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.13 | 5.66 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
WEC Energy (WEC) at 3.17% pays an industry-typical yield; Korea Electric Power (KEP) at 13,891.89% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.
KEP
Utilities industry group
13,891.89%
- KEP
- 13,891.89%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- Median
- 2.85%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
WEC
Utilities industry group
3.17%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- WEC
- 3.17%
- Median
- 2.85%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
WEC Energy (WEC) at 68.18% keeps its payout within the industry’s typical band; Korea Electric Power (KEP) at 12.22% pays out less than peers usually do, retaining more of its earnings — a policy difference more than a quality gap.
KEP
Utilities industry group
12.22%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- Median
- 56.38%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- KEP
- 12.22%
- Min
- 0.00%
WEC
Utilities industry group
68.18%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- WEC
- 68.18%
- Median
- 56.38%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | KEP | WEC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 13,891.89% | 3.17% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 12.22% | 68.18% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Korea Electric Power (KEP) at 2.66 trades below its industry P/E ratio range, while WEC Energy (WEC) at 21.07 is closer to a normal peer multiple — a clearer earnings-valuation discount for KEP, subject to growth and earnings quality.
KEP
Utilities industry group
2.66
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- Median
- 19.64
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
- KEP
- 2.66
WEC
Utilities industry group
21.07
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- WEC
- 21.07
- Median
- 19.64
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Korea Electric Power (KEP) at 0.00 looks cheap on sales in the lower P/S ratio quartile, while WEC Energy (WEC) at 3.69 looks rich in the upper quartile — a clear gap in price per dollar of revenue.
KEP
Utilities industry group
0.00
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- KEP
- 0.00
- Min
- 0.00
WEC
Utilities industry group
3.69
- Max
- 6.35
- WEC
- 3.69
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Korea Electric Power (KEP) at 0.38 looks cheap against book in the lower P/B ratio quartile, while WEC Energy (WEC) at 2.62 carries a premium in the upper quartile — a clear price-to-book gap.
KEP
Utilities industry group
0.38
- Max
- 3.12
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- KEP
- 0.38
- Min
- 0.34
WEC
Utilities industry group
2.62
- Max
- 3.12
- WEC
- 2.62
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | KEP | WEC |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 2.66 | 21.07 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 0.00 | 3.69 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 0.38 | 2.62 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 4,799.31% | -5.16% |