FE to Benefit From Infrastructure Upgradation & Grid Modernization

FirstEnergy Corp. FE is focusing on strengthening its infrastructure through upgrades to its transmission and distribution networks. At the same time, the company is pursuing grid modernization with a structured, long-term capital investment plan to effectively serve the needs of its growing customer base.

The company’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is projected at 6.46%.

Tailwinds

FirstEnergy successfully expanded its regulated activities and underwent a complete transition to become a fully regulated utility company in the past few years. This positions the company to capitalize on accelerating AI-driven data center expansion, both within its service territory and across the broader region.

FirstEnergy is strengthening its transmission and renewable generation assets to ensure reliable power delivery during adverse weather conditions while providing emission-free electricity to customers. The company is also focused on grid modernization technologies to reduce outage frequency.

FirstEnergy’s ‘Energize365’ is a multi-year grid evolution platform that serves as a significant tailwind, focusing on enhancing the customer experience and service reliability while maintaining its strong affordability position, with rates at or below those of in-state peers. The company plans a strategic, long-term capital investment of $28 billion during 2025–2029 to install advanced equipment and technologies to modernize its transmission and distribution infrastructure.

Headwinds

FirstEnergy’s financial results are exposed to demand volatility, which comes from its service territory’s climate. The company’s revenue stream is cyclical in nature, experiencing peak load during the summer and winter months. Conversely, extended periods of mild weather significantly reduce residential and commercial consumption, creating periods of low demand that directly affect the company’s financial performance.

Price Performance

Over the past six months, FE shares have risen 11.4%, which beat the industry’s growth of 7.5%.

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

FE currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). 
Some better-ranked stocks in the same industry are The AES Corporation AES, Dominion Energy, Inc. D and NextEra Energy, Inc. NEE, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

AES, D and NEE have delivered an average earnings surprise of 14.68%, 12.72% and 4.39%, respectively, over the past four quarters.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AES, D, and NEE’s 2025 EPS indicates year-over-year growth of 1.87%, 22.74% and 7.58%, respectively.

 

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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