Korea Electric Power (NYSE:KEP) Shares Gap Up – Still a Buy?

Shares of Korea Electric Power Corporation (NYSE:KEP) gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $21.45, but opened at $22.83. Korea Electric Power shares last traded at $23.1650, with a volume of 422,806 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KEP has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Korea Electric Power to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Korea Electric Power in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Korea Electric Power from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Korea Electric Power currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Korea Electric Power Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $27.71 billion, a PE ratio of 4.73, a PEG ratio of 0.07 and a beta of 0.89. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $17.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78.

Korea Electric Power (NYSE:KEP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The utilities provider reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $19.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.17 billion. Korea Electric Power had a return on equity of 19.00% and a net margin of 8.47%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Korea Electric Power

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KEP. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Korea Electric Power during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Korea Electric Power during the third quarter worth $33,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Korea Electric Power by 204.3% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,757 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 1,851 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Korea Electric Power during the third quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in shares of Korea Electric Power by 1,144.4% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 3,447 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 3,170 shares in the last quarter.

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.