Korea Electric Power (NYSE:KEP) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

Korea Electric Power Corporation (NYSE:KEP) gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $11.80, but opened at $12.42. Korea Electric Power shares last traded at $12.3550, with a volume of 251,636 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KEP has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Korea Electric Power from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Zacks Research upgraded Korea Electric Power from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Nomura downgraded Korea Electric Power from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley downgraded Korea Electric Power from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Korea Electric Power currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Korea Electric Power Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56. The stock has a market cap of $15.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2.57, a PEG ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.95. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $12.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.55.

Korea Electric Power (NYSE:KEP) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The utilities provider reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by ($0.18). Korea Electric Power had a net margin of 8.95% and a return on equity of 18.25%. The business had revenue of $14.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.31 billion. Analysts anticipate that Korea Electric Power Corporation will post 2.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Korea Electric Power

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KEP. Global Trust Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Korea Electric Power during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its holdings in shares of Korea Electric Power by 47.0% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,264 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 724 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Korea Electric Power by 21.6% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,625 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 466 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Korea Electric Power during the fourth quarter worth approximately $45,000. Finally, Barclays PLC acquired a new stake in shares of Korea Electric Power during the fourth quarter worth $45,000.

Korea Electric Power Company Profile

Korea Electric Power (KEP) is a South Korea–based integrated electric utility engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. The company’s activities span power plant operation and maintenance, grid management, fuel procurement and power trading, as well as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for large-scale power projects. Its asset base includes a mix of thermal, nuclear, hydro and renewable generation capacity, and the company supports system planning and reliability functions for the national electricity network.

In addition to core utility operations, KEP provides a range of technical and consulting services tied to power infrastructure, including plant construction, refurbishment and decommissioning support.