PPL vs. TLN: PPL vs. Talen Energy Stock Comparison
How do PPL (PPL) and Talen Energy (TLN) 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
PPL (PPL) and Talen Energy (TLN) both fall under the Utilities industry group, but PPL is classified in Electric Utilities while TLN is classified in Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers.
PPL (PPL) has more than two decades of public-market history since March 17, 1980, whereas Talen Energy (TLN) listed on June 2, 2023 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | PPL | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | PPL Corporation | Talen Energy Corporation |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry Group | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry | Electric Utilities | Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Electric Utilities | Independent Power Producers & Energy Traders |
| Market Capitalization | 26.94 billion USD | 14.73 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | March 17, 1980 | June 2, 2023 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | PPL | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 1.73% | -6.63% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 16.47% | 88.64% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 8.32% | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Talen Energy (TLN) has an aggressive beta of 1.53, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while PPL (PPL) is defensive at 0.54 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | PPL | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 18.30% | 58.28% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.54 | 1.53 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -24.73% | -36.72% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 7.63M | 1.01M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | PPL | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.14 | -0.19 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.19 | -0.26 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Talen Energy (TLN) reports a negative ROE of -16.54%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile PPL (PPL) reports 8.63%, ranking against industry peers normally.
PPL
Utilities industry group
8.63%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- Median
- 9.44%
- PPL
- 8.63%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
TLN
Utilities industry group
-16.54%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
- TLN
- -16.54%
Net Margin (TTM)
Talen Energy (TLN) reports a negative net margin of -5.67%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile PPL (PPL) reports 13.47%, ranking against industry peers normally.
PPL
Utilities industry group
13.47%
- Max
- 28.78%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- PPL
- 13.47%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- Min
- -0.20%
TLN
Utilities industry group
-5.67%
- Max
- 28.78%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- Min
- -0.20%
- TLN
- -5.67%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both PPL (PPL) at 23.59% and Talen Energy (TLN) at 17.35% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
PPL
Utilities industry group
23.59%
- Max
- 53.83%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- Median
- 23.62%
- PPL
- 23.59%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- Min
- -4.90%
TLN
Utilities industry group
17.35%
- Max
- 53.83%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- Median
- 23.62%
- TLN
- 17.35%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- Min
- -4.90%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | PPL | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 8.63% | -16.54% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.20% | 0.88% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 13.47% | -5.67% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 23.59% | 17.35% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 44.09% | 42.67% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Talen Energy (TLN) at 26.68% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while PPL (PPL) at 6.85% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for TLN.
EPS Growth
PPL (PPL) at 32.50% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Talen Energy (TLN) at -127.11% falls below its industry range — a large difference in per-share earnings trajectories.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | PPL | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 6.85% | 26.68% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.59% | 2.87% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 32.50% | -127.11% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 15.95% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both PPL (PPL) at 0.91 and Talen Energy (TLN) at 0.89 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.
PPL
Utilities industry group
0.91
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- PPL
- 0.91
- Median
- 0.88
- Q1
- 0.66
- Min
- 0.29
TLN
Utilities industry group
0.89
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- TLN
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.88
- Q1
- 0.66
- Min
- 0.29
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
PPL (PPL) at 1.35 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while Talen Energy (TLN) at 5.97 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.
PPL
Utilities industry group
1.35
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- PPL
- 1.35
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
TLN
Utilities industry group
5.97
- TLN
- 5.97
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | PPL | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.91 | 0.89 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.35 | 5.97 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.33 | 13.69 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither PPL (PPL) nor Talen Energy (TLN) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
PPL
Utilities industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- Median
- 2.85%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- PPL
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
TLN
Utilities industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- Median
- 2.85%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- TLN
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Talen Energy (TLN) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile PPL (PPL) reports a payout of 65.98%, ranking against industry peers normally.
PPL
Utilities industry group
65.98%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- PPL
- 65.98%
- Median
- 56.38%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- Min
- 0.00%
TLN
Utilities industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- Median
- 56.38%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- TLN
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | PPL | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 65.98% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: PPL (PPL) trades at 20.57 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Talen Energy (TLN) has no P/E ratio this period.
PPL
Utilities industry group
20.57
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- PPL
- 20.57
- Median
- 19.64
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
TLN
Utilities industry group
--
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- Median
- 19.64
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
- TLN
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both PPL (PPL) at 2.87 and Talen Energy (TLN) at 3.29 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
PPL
Utilities industry group
2.87
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.63
- PPL
- 2.87
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
TLN
Utilities industry group
3.29
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.63
- TLN
- 3.29
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
PPL (PPL) at 1.81 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Talen Energy (TLN) at 10.14 prices above its benchmark range — TLN looks rich relative to book.
PPL
Utilities industry group
1.81
- Max
- 3.12
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.83
- PPL
- 1.81
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
TLN
Utilities industry group
10.14
- TLN
- 10.14
- Max
- 3.12
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | PPL | TLN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 20.57 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.87 | 3.29 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.81 | 10.14 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -7.19% | 6.39% |