Exelon Corp
Latest Exelon Corp News and Updates
Why Exelon’s recent quarterly earnings were positive
Exelon Corporation (EXC) reported a net income of $440 million in its 2Q14 earnings. The quarterly net income was $14 million lower year-over-year (or YoY).

Dominion Resources’ Higher Debt Confirms Its Stretched Financials
Dominion Resources (D) depends upon both internal and external sources of financing for its capital expenses and dividend payments.

A Look at Institutional Investors’ Holdings in Exelon
In the past couple of months, institutions have increased their positions in Exelon by nearly 2%, from 85.6% to 87.2%, as of October 3, 2016.

A Look at American Electric Power’s Healthy Credit Profile
American Electric Power (AEP) has an attractive debt profile, with the company’s debt making up just 7% of its consolidated debt.

What’s Ahead for Duke Energy Stock?
Duke Energy rallied 9% in 2016, roughly tracking the Utilities Select Sector SPDR. Dominion Resources rose 12% in 2016, while Peer NextEra Energy rose 15%.

What Factors Triggered NiSource’s 2Q16 Earnings?
NiSource (NI) reported its 2Q16 earnings on August 2, 2016. It reported net operating earnings of $0.08 per share in the quarter.

Why NextEra Energy Could Be an Attractive Option for 2017
Of the total 18 analysts tracking NextEra Energy on December 27, 2016, five recommend it as “strong buy” while 11 recommend it as a “buy.” Two analysts recommend NextEra Energy as a “hold,” and none of the analysts offered a “sell” recommendation.

American Electric Power’s Dividend Yield Compared to Peers
American Electric Power (AEP), one of the largest utilities in the country, has declared a dividend of $0.59 per share for the third quarter of 2017.

These S&P 500 Utility Stocks Offer the Most Potential Upside
NRG Energy (NRG), the leading merchant power player stock and one of the smallest components of the S&P 500 Utilities Index (XLU), has a mean price target of $36.50 against its current market price of $31.20.

Exelon Beats Earnings Estimates, Raises Guidance
Exelon Corporation (EXC) reported its third quarter earnings on October 26, 2016. It reported earnings of $0.91 per share for the quarter.

S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Closed at Record Highs
On December 13, the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq rose 0.65%, 0.58%, and 0.95%. They closed at record highs.

Utilities Sector: Stock Market Update for Week Ended July 17
Of the 41 utilities stocks we track, 30 gained during the week ended July 17. A positive Greek deal cheered markets globally, and dovish comments by the Fed pushed mid-to-long-term bond yields down.

Investment-Grade Bond Funds Saw Outflows for Third Week in a Row
Investment-grade bond issuance fell to $26.275 billion last week as compared to $32.35 billion in the previous week.

Exelon’s Price Targets and Wall Street’s Opinion
In this series, we’re analyzing analysts’ favorite stocks from the S&P 500 Utilities Index (XLU). We’ll look at Exelon (EXC) in this part.

Why Exelon Could Rally Even after Gaining 35% in 2016
Exelon (EXC) is currently trading at a 4% and 13% premium to its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, respectively. The strong premium indicates the strength of Exelon stock.

Why Hybrid Utilities’ Yields Might Be Misleading
Hybrid utility FirstEnergy (FE) is presently trading at one of the highest dividend yields of 4.9%.

Which Utility Stocks Lead in Implied Volatility?
On November 8, NRG Energy (NRG) had the highest implied volatility among the utility companies that make up the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU).

How Does American Electric Power’s Credit Profile Look among Peers?
At the end of 2Q16, AEP had total debt of $21.6 billion. Its DE ratio stands at 1.2x, while its debt-to-market-capitalization ratio is 0.7x.

NRG Energy’s Target Price after Its 4Q17 Earnings
NRG Energy (NRG) stock has a mean target price of $33.25, which indicates an upside potential of more than 23% for the next 12 months.
Why Exelon’s generating assets are regionally diverse
Exelon Corporation’s (EXC) power generation assets are spread across 18 states in the U.S. and some parts of Canada. Regional diversity is very important.

What Drove FirstEnergy’s Revenue in 3Q16?
FirstEnergy (FE) reported its third quarter financial results on November 4, 2016. It reported total operating revenue of $3.92 billion for the quarter.

Analysts’ Views and Price Targets for Duke Energy and Peers
Analyst price target According to Wall Street analysts’ consensus, Duke Energy (DUK) stock has a mean price target of $82.30 and a current market price of $77.20, suggesting upside potential of 6.5% in the next 12 months. Among the 18 Wall Street analysts tracking Duke Energy on February 26, 2018, one had recommended “strong buy,” four had recommended “buy,” […]

FE, D, EXC, or ETR: Which Utility Stock Stung Investors?
Exelon (EXC) stock has corrected nearly 2% in the last year. Including dividends, its returns have come in at ~3%.
Why did the market punish Exelon?
Exelon Corporation’s (EXC) stock has been hammered in the last six years. In 2008, the stock was trading at ~$90 per share. Early this year, the stock was available at less than $27 per share.

Grexit Worries Pull Down Utilities and Broader Markets
On June 26, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called for a July 5 referendum to decide whether Greeks want to accept the creditors’ terms.
Why different types of charts are used in technical analysis
Chart inspection is the basic form of technical analysis. In technical analysis charts, we can customize the time frames in the charts. We can also identify different trends in different time frames.

Major Institutional Investments in Exelon in 4Q17
Exelon Corporation (EXC) is the largest competitive utility in the country. All of the top five institutional investors increased their positions in Exelon in 4Q17.

What’s Next for Dominion Resources Stock?
Dominion Resources (D) gained 12% in 2016, while the Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU) also managed to gain by about the same levels.

Which S&P 500 Utilities Received a Target Price Change?
Duke Energy is trading at $77.5. Wall Street analysts gave Duke Energy a mean target price of $81.5.

Exelon Offers a Decent Potential Upside from Here
The stock of Exelon Corporation (EXC), the largest hybrid utility and the largest utility by revenue, has a mean price target of $43.2.

Utility Stocks: Analyzing Returns and Implied Volatilities
PPL rose the least in the past year among the list of low implied volatility utility stocks. It announced its 4Q16 financial results on February 1.

Analyzing Utility Stocks’ Implied Volatilities
On January 11, 2017, NRG Energy had the highest implied volatility among the utility companies that make up the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU).

Battered Utilities Will Tackle the Fed’s Liftoff in 2016
Utilities underperformed in 2015 mainly due to the expected interest rate hike environment. So, how will utilities react in 2016?

Weekly US electricity production rises, still lower than last year
The US saw a nominal uptick in weekly electricity production for the week ended February 6, 2015. US electricity production increased by 1.6%.
US power companies: Comparing valuation multiples
Forward multiples are a useful metric for gauging relative valuation. A higher multiple usually indicates a richer valuation for a company.
Must-know: Who owns Dominion?
Institutional investors hold most of Dominion Resources’ (D) outstanding shares. As of June 30, 2014, a total of 351.2 million shares were held by 1,069 institutions.

A brief overview of Exelon’s power operations
Power generation is a significant segment for Exelon, generating more than 60% of its total revenue. The energy delivery business provides the other 40% of the company’s revenues.

Why Utilities Underperformed the Broader Market Last Week
The defensives and utilities sector fell more than 2% last week while broader markets fell just 0.3%. Here’s why.

XLU’s Chart Indicators and Short Interest
Currently, the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) is trading at $58.2 after hitting an all-time high of $58.7 last week.

Is Exelon Trading at a Discount Compared to Its Peers?
Exelon’s (EXC) EV-to-EBITDA (enterprise value-to-EBITDA) multiple is 7.57x.

How FirstEnergy Stock Ranks against Peers
FirstEnergy (FE) has been one of the top-performing stocks among the S&P 500 Utilities Index (XLU) this year.

Exelon Stock’s Current Valuation: What You Need to Know
Exelon Corporation (EXC) is currently trading at an EV-to-EBITDA (enterprise value to earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) valuation multiple below 8.0x.

Assessing NextEra Energy’s 4Q17 Earnings and Growth Prospects
According to analysts’ estimates, NextEra Energy (NEE) will report EPS (earnings per share) of $1.31 for the quarter ended December 31, 2017.

AES Stock Offers Decent Upside Potential
AES (AES) has upside potential of 19% from its current price levels of $10.9. Wall Street analysts have given it a price target of $12.9.

Why FirstEnergy Stock Is Trading at a Deep Discount
Very few utility stocks from the S&P 500 Utilities Index (XLU) are currently trading at a fair valuation.

Why US Nuclear Power Generation Is under Serious Threat
Over the last five years, five nuclear power plants have shut down their operations, and another six are planning to close by 2025.

EXC, FE, and PEG: Are Hybrid Utilities Really Worth the Risk?
US utilities including giants like Duke Energy (DUK) and Southern Company (SO) have done fairly well in the last few months compared to broader markets.

Will Utilities Stay Pricey in 2017?
US utilities continued to trade higher throughout 2016, despite some severe corrections. But how are these stocks valued at the beginning of 2017?

Why Utilities Trade at Lower Yields than Their Historical Levels
Exelon Corporation (EXC) is trading at a dividend yield of 3.5%, and FirstEnergy (FE) is trading at a dividend yield of 4.6%. Public Service Enterprise Group (PEG) has a yield of 3.8%.

Which Utility Has the Most Concerning Leverage?
Exelon Corporation (EXC) had net debt of $34 billion at the end of 3Q16. EXC has a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 4.5x, slightly above the industry average.

Utility Stocks with High Implied Volatilities
On December 21, NRG Energy (NRG) had the highest implied volatility among the utility companies that make up the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU).

Identifying Utility Stocks with High Volatilities
On December 15, 2016, NRG Energy had the highest implied volatility among the utility companies that make up the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF.

Analyzing Utility Stocks with High Volatility
On December 6, NRG Energy (NRG) had the highest implied volatility among the utility companies that make up the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU).

A Closer Look at Duke Energy’s Concerning Debt Profile
At the end of 3Q16, Duke Energy (DUK) had total debt of $50 billion, and its debt-to-equity ratio comes in around 1.24x.

A Look at US Utilities’ Return on Equity
Duke Energy’s (DUK) adjusted return on equity stayed below 8% due to volatile earnings from international operations. This ROE was on the lower side of the industry average.

Analyzing Exelon’s Valuation after Its Recent Correction
Exelon is trading at a fair valuation compared to last month. This change is more or less due to its sharp correction in August.

Duke Energy’s 2Q16 Earnings Rise by 13% Year-over-Year
Duke Energy (DUK) posted its 2Q16 earnings on August 4, 2016. It reported 13% rise in its earnings year-over-year and earned $1.07 per share in the reported quarter.

Commonwealth Edison Issued the Most High-Grade Bonds
Commonwealth Edison Company is a unit of Exelon Corporation (EXC). It issued A2/A- rated high-grade bonds worth $1.2 billion through two parts on June 20.

Which Utility Stocks Have the Highest Implied Volatility?
As of June 22, 2016, NRG Energy (NRG) has the highest implied volatility figure of all utility companies at 48.5.

Comparing Exelon’s Yield and Dividends with Hybrid Utilities
Exelon (EXC) is currently trading at a forward dividend yield of 3.6%, with an expected dividend growth rate of slightly under 2% for the next two years.

PJM’s Capacity Auction Paints Bleak Picture for Power Generators
Last month’s PJM Interconnection auction cleared 167,306 megawatts of capacity, which came in at more competitive prices than last year.

Understanding the Shift in US Power Generation Fuel Mix
Lower natural gas prices, slower electricity demand growth, and incentives for renewables have all fueled the recent power generation transition.

Utilities’ Free Cash Flow Continues Downtrend, AEP No Exception
AEP’s free cash flow for 2015 declined to $218 million from $367 million in 2014.

AEP Targets Earnings Growth in 2016 Despite Challenges
Over the next few years, AEP management will be targeting annual earnings growth of 4% to 6%, strongly supported by the company’s regulated operations.

Is NextEra Energy Looking at Oncor Electric Again?
NextEra Energy (NEE), the largest utility by market capitalization, has risen more than 15% since the beginning of the year.

Opower Is Oracle’s Latest Cloud Buyout: Will It Be of Benefit?
On May 2, 2016, Oracle (ORCL) announced the acquisition of Opower (OPWR), a cloud service software provider in the utility space.

What Does American Electric Power’s Current Valuation Indicate?
American Electric Power and FirstEnergy (FE) closed down by 2.5% and 11%, respectively, on April 28 when federal regulators blocked income guarantees for their power plants.

PEG Maintains Its Guidance despite an Earnings Fall in 1Q16
Public Service Enterprise Group’s (PEG) management reiterated its fiscal 2016 earnings guidance range of $2.80–$3.00 per share.

Exelon Generation’s Fate Relies on Illinois Energy Bill
Mergers and acquisitions drove Exelon Corporation’s (EXC) growth in the last few years. Its acquisition of Constellation Energy in 2012 catalyzed its performance due to healthy capacity addition.

Divesting Merchant Generation to Improve AEP’s Risk Profile
American Electric Power’s (AEP) Vertically Integrated Utilities segment plays a key role in driving its performance, accounting for more than half of its total operating income.

What Is Pacific Gas and Electric’s Capital Spending Plan?
Pacific Gas and Electric (PCG) is planning to spend nearly $28 billion on capital projects in the next five years.

Southern Company Announced Cost Overrun at Kemper County Plant
Southern Company (SO) continues to focus on its generation facilities for capacity addition. It intends to spend $18 billion over the next three years.

S&P Downgrades Dominion after Questar Announcement
On February 1, 2016, Standard & Poor’s downgraded Dominion Resources to a credit rating of BBB+ with a stable outlook. The move came after Dominion announced its merger with Questar.

Analyzing NextEra Energy’s Debt Profile
NextEra Energy had total debt of $29.7 billion as of December 31, 2015. Of this, $26.7 billion is long-term, and $3 billion is short-term.

Southern Company: Market Performance and Dividend Expectations
With AGL Resources’ (GAS) acquisition, Southern Company’s regulated revenues are expected to increase.

Most Analysts Recommend a “Buy” on NextEra Energy
Following NextEra Energy’s 4Q15 earnings, analysts have a one-year price target of $119 for NEE against its current market price of $108.

Analyzing Southern Company’s Debt Profile
As of September 30, 2015, Southern Company had total debt of $27 billion against equity of $20.6 billion. Of this, $22.3 billion is long-term debt.

Rising Interest Rates to Impact NextEra’s Stock Performance
Utilities showed a dismal performance in 2015 due to the fear of higher interest rates. The shares of NextEra rose sharply in December 2015 by gaining 8%.

PEG Raised Dividends in 2015, but Forward Dividend Yield Is Flat
Public Service Enterprise (PEG) has a strong dividend-paying history, and it has maintained an annual dividend growth rate of 2.6% in the last five years.

Analyzing Southern Company’s Debt Profile and Spending Plan
As of September 30, 2015, Southern Company had a total debt of $27 billion, against equity of $20.6 billion.

Southern Company Likely to Meet Fiscal 2015 Guidance
Southern Company (SO) is set to report its quarterly earnings for the period ended December 31, 2015, on February 3, 2016.

SO’s Generation Shifts from Coal to Natural Gas and Nuclear
Southern Company expects its natural gas usage to rise to 52%, while it expects its coal usage to fall to 29% by 2020, compared to 2014 levels.

Southern Company: Analyzing Trends in Cash Flow from Operations
Despite a near-zero demand growth in the electric business, Southern Company (SO) has maintained fair growth in its cash flow from operations.

SO Will Be the Second-Largest Utility with AGL Resources
After its acquisition of AGL Resources, SO is expected to serve nine-million customers collectively, making it the second-largest utility by customer base.

PPL’s Focus on Regulated Operations Bodes Well for Its Dividends
PPL segregated its unregulated business from its regulated business in 2015. The strategic move may have a positive impact on the company’s earnings.

Why Utilities Expect a Dovish Stance from the Fed
Utilities (XLU) are an asset-heavy business, so they carry huge debt. Last year, the utility sector underperformed mainly because of a fear of interest rates heading higher.

Why Interest Rates Will Be a Key Indicator for Utilities in 2016
US utilities (IDU) had a dismal performance in 2015 in part due to the fear of higher interest rates.

S&P Upgraded PPL after the Separation of Its Unregulated Business
Debt profile PPL (PPL) is looking to strengthen its regulated business by investing $18 billion in the next five years. This funding will mainly be done by long-term debt financing. As of September 30, 2015, the company has total debt of $19.7 billion against equity of $10.2 billion. Of this total debt, $17.7 billion is long-term debt. […]

An Analysis of the Operating Structure of PPL
PPL is concentrated in the UK. It manages utility operations through PPL Global, PPL Electric, Louisville Gas and Electric, and Kentucky Utilities.

Utilities’ Outlook for 2016 Remains Stable
Moody’s expects electricity demand to remain subdued in 2016 due to energy efficient programs and milder weather. It reaffirmed a “stable” outlook.

A Key Overview of FirstEnergy’s Operating Structure
FirstEnergy’s revenues are primarily derived from electric services provided by ten subsidiaries. The company serves a combined population of ~13.5 million.

Utilities Climb the Leverage Hill, Credit Ratings Deteriorate
Utilities (XLU) require major funding for infrastructure upgradation and asset maintenance purposes. As a result, they constantly need funds.

Analyzing Dominion Resources’ Dividend Payment Trends
Dominion Resources has a dividend yield of 3.7% as of December 8, 2015. Dominion has shown a healthy and steady rise in its dividend payouts since 2008.

What Are Exelon’s Key Risk Factors?
In the last few years, Exelon’s (EXC) long-term borrowing has increased and pushed leverage upwards.

Analyzing Exelon’s Key Revenue Drivers
Demand growth for electricity in the last decade has been sluggish due to increasingly energy-efficient devices and equipment.

How Exelon’s Hybrid Business Model Provides Balanced Revenues
Exelon (EXC) manages end-to-end operations in the power utilities segment through its subsidiaries.

Utilities Continue to Underperform and Exelon Is No Exception
Exelon (EXC) is a dominant energy player in the US that operates in energy generation, transmission, and delivery.

The Industrial Production Report Pressured the Utility Sector
The Fed’s monthly index on Industrial Production for October 2015 noted that industrial production missed expectations. It fell by 0.2% in October due to weakness in the utilities and mining sectors.

Understanding NextEra Energy’s 3Q15 Profitability Metrics
NextEra Energy (NEE) reported operating income of $1.5 billion in 3Q15 compared to $1.2 billion in 3Q14.

Analyzing NextEra Energy’s Debt Profile and Liquidity Position
With no major unexpected capital outlays, NextEra Energy’s debt as of September 30, 2015, should be close to its debt as of June 30, 2015.