FirstEnergy (NYSE:FE) Hits New 1-Year High After Analyst Upgrade

FirstEnergy Corporation (NYSE:FE)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Thursday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock from $50.00 to $55.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. FirstEnergy traded as high as $51.41 and last traded at $51.31, with a volume of 948490 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $50.65.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on FE. Wolfe Research upgraded FirstEnergy from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of FirstEnergy from $51.00 to $50.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Scotiabank reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of FirstEnergy in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of FirstEnergy from $54.00 to $53.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price target on FirstEnergy from $49.00 to $46.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $49.71.

Insider Transactions at FirstEnergy

In related news, CAO Jason Lisowski sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.84, for a total value of $152,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 7,176 shares in the company, valued at approximately $364,827.84. This trade represents a 29.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jon Taylor K. sold 26,800 shares of FirstEnergy stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.94, for a total value of $1,365,192.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 119,552 shares in the company, valued at $6,089,978.88. The trade was a 18.31% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 39,118 shares of company stock worth $1,989,532 over the last three months. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting FirstEnergy

Here are the key news stories impacting FirstEnergy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on FE to $55 (from $50) while keeping a “neutral” rating — the new target implies roughly mid-single-digit upside from recent levels and provides near-term analyst support for the stock. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: FirstEnergy plans to invest about $950 million in Ohio and Pennsylvania grid upgrades — a sizable capital program that should grow the regulated rate base, improve reliability, and support long‑term earnings/stability for a utility. Investors typically view transmission/distribution upgrades as earnings-accretive over time when recoverable through regulators. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Market filings and company notices show FirstEnergy increased its quarterly dividend to $0.465 (annualized $1.86, ~3.6% yield), which supports income-focused investor interest and helps underpin the stock’s defensive appeal.
• Neutral Sentiment: FirstEnergy issued a storm-preparedness notice as crews stand ready for high winds across its service territory — operationally positive for outage response but routine and unlikely to move fundamentals unless major damage occurs. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CFO Jon Taylor sold 26,800 shares (~$1.36M at ~$50.94) and director James F. Oneil sold 7,945 shares (~$402k at $50.60) in recent Form 4 filings. Large insider disposals can pressure sentiment even if they’re for personal liquidity or diversification. CFO Form 4 Director Form 4

Institutional Investors Weigh In On FirstEnergy

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FE. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in shares of FirstEnergy in the second quarter valued at $25,000. American National Bank & Trust grew its holdings in FirstEnergy by 380.2% during the 3rd quarter. American National Bank & Trust now owns 581 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. bought a new stake in FirstEnergy during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC increased its position in FirstEnergy by 187.5% in the 3rd quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 621 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of FirstEnergy in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. 89.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

FirstEnergy Stock Performance

The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $48.21 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $46.32. The company has a market capitalization of $29.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83, a current ratio of 0.57 and a quick ratio of 0.46.

FirstEnergy (NYSE:FE) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The utilities provider reported $0.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $3.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.20 billion. FirstEnergy had a return on equity of 10.50% and a net margin of 6.76%.During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.67 earnings per share. FirstEnergy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.620-2.820 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that FirstEnergy Corporation will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current year.

FirstEnergy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, May 7th will be given a $0.465 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 7th. This represents a $1.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. This is a boost from FirstEnergy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. FirstEnergy’s payout ratio is presently 101.14%.

About FirstEnergy

FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is a U.S.-based electric utility holding company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. The company’s primary business is the delivery of electricity through its regulated transmission and distribution utilities, serving residential, commercial and industrial customers across parts of the Midwest and Mid‑Atlantic. FirstEnergy’s service territory includes states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and West Virginia, and it operates primarily within the PJM regional transmission organization.

FirstEnergy’s core activities center on owning and operating electric distribution networks and transmission systems, maintaining and upgrading grid infrastructure, managing storm response and restoration, and offering customer programs that include energy efficiency and reliability services.