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PPL vs. WEC: PPL vs. WEC Energy Stock Comparison

How do PPL (PPL) 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

PPL (PPL) and WEC Energy (WEC) both fall under the Utilities industry group, but PPL is classified in Electric Utilities while WEC is classified in Multi-Utilities.

Company profile comparison for PPL (PPL) and WEC Energy (WEC)
Profile ItemPPLWEC
NamePPL CorporationWEC Energy Group Inc.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorUtilitiesUtilities
GICS Industry GroupUtilitiesUtilities
GICS IndustryElectric UtilitiesMulti-Utilities
GICS Sub-IndustryElectric UtilitiesMulti-Utilities
Market Capitalization26.94 billion USD38.12 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMarch 17, 1980March 17, 1980
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

PPL
WEC
GSPC
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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for PPL (PPL) and WEC Energy (WEC). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for PPL (PPL) and WEC Energy (WEC). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for PPL (PPL) and WEC Energy (WEC)
MetricPPLWEC
Total Return (1Y)1.73%7.80%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)16.47%18.04%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)8.32%9.22%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

PPL
WEC
GSPC
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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for PPL (PPL) and WEC Energy (WEC). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for PPL (PPL) and WEC Energy (WEC)
MetricPPLWEC
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)18.30%17.21%
Beta (5Y)0.540.43
Max Drawdown (5Y)-24.73%-26.02%
Avg. Volume (3M)7.63M2.71M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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PPL and WEC are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for PPL (PPL) and WEC Energy (WEC)
MetricPPLWEC
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.140.20
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.190.31

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

WEC Energy (WEC) at 12.49% sits in the top ROE quartile, while PPL (PPL) at 8.63% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for WEC.

PPL

Utilities industry group

8.63%

Max
17.99%
Q3
12.01%
Median
9.44%
PPL
8.63%
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%
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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC): A comparison of their ROE against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

WEC Energy (WEC) at 17.53% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of PPL (PPL) at 13.47%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

PPL

Utilities industry group

13.47%

Max
28.78%
Q3
17.30%
PPL
13.47%
Median
12.73%
Q1
9.18%
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%
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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC): A comparison of their net margin against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both PPL (PPL) at 23.59% and WEC Energy (WEC) at 25.44% 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%

WEC

Utilities industry group

25.44%

Max
53.83%
Q3
31.12%
WEC
25.44%
Median
23.62%
Q1
15.45%
Min
-4.90%
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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC): A comparison of their operating margin against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for PPL (PPL) and WEC Energy (WEC)
MetricPPLWEC
ROE (TTM)8.63%12.49%
ROA (TTM)3.20%3.08%
Net Margin (TTM)13.47%17.53%
Operating Margin (TTM)23.59%25.44%
Gross Margin (TTM)44.09%42.36%

Growth

Revenue Growth

WEC Energy (WEC) at 13.96% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while PPL (PPL) at 6.85% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for WEC.

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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

PPL (PPL) at 32.50% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while WEC Energy (WEC) at -0.41% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for PPL.

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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for PPL (PPL) and WEC Energy (WEC)
MetricPPLWEC
Revenue Growth (YoY)6.85%13.96%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)4.59%0.70%
EPS Growth (YoY)32.50%-0.41%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)15.95%2.63%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

PPL (PPL) at 0.91 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while WEC Energy (WEC) at 0.53 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for WEC.

PPL

Utilities industry group

0.91

Max
1.90
Q3
1.17
PPL
0.91
Median
0.88
Q1
0.66
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
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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC): A comparison of their current ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both PPL (PPL) at 1.35 and WEC Energy (WEC) at 1.54 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

PPL

Utilities industry group

1.35

Max
2.63
Q3
1.77
PPL
1.35
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
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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for PPL (PPL) and WEC Energy (WEC)
MetricPPLWEC
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.910.53
Debt / Equity (MRQ)1.351.54
Net Debt / EBITDA5.335.66

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

PPL (PPL) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile WEC Energy (WEC) reports a yield of 3.17%, ranking against industry peers normally.

PPL

Utilities industry group

0.00%

Max
6.66%
Q3
3.58%
Median
2.85%
Q1
0.66%
PPL
0.00%
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%
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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both PPL (PPL) at 65.98% and WEC Energy (WEC) at 68.18% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

PPL

Utilities industry group

65.98%

Max
113.04%
Q3
68.72%
PPL
65.98%
Median
56.38%
Q1
32.38%
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%
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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for PPL (PPL) and WEC Energy (WEC)
MetricPPLWEC
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%3.17%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)65.98%68.18%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both PPL (PPL) at 20.57 and WEC Energy (WEC) at 21.07 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

PPL

Utilities industry group

20.57

Max
31.22
Q3
23.30
PPL
20.57
Median
19.64
Q1
15.17
Min
3.34

WEC

Utilities industry group

21.07

Max
31.22
Q3
23.30
WEC
21.07
Median
19.64
Q1
15.17
Min
3.34
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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

PPL (PPL) at 2.87 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while WEC Energy (WEC) at 3.69 sits in the pricier quartile — WEC costs more per dollar of sales.

PPL

Utilities industry group

2.87

Max
6.35
Q3
3.63
PPL
2.87
Median
2.63
Q1
1.52
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
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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

PPL (PPL) at 1.81 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while WEC Energy (WEC) at 2.62 carries an above-peer premium to book — WEC is pricier on assets.

PPL

Utilities industry group

1.81

Max
3.12
Q3
2.21
Median
1.83
PPL
1.81
Q1
1.46
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
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PPL (PPL) vs. WEC Energy (WEC): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for PPL (PPL) and WEC Energy (WEC)
MetricPPLWEC
P/E Ratio (TTM)20.5721.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)2.873.69
P/B Ratio (MRQ)1.812.62
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)-7.19%-5.16%