Framework Journal · one stock, one dated entry

Recorded 2026-07-27 · Permanent

FirstEnergy logoFirstEnergy FE

Outside both standards

An entry written while the outcome is still unknown. It will be scored by what the market does next, and it will never be edited to look cleverer than it was.

In plain words · FirstEnergy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, distribution, and transmission of electricity in the United States.

The label
Markup

read at $49.32

FirstEnergy holds its Markup at $49.32.

PHINPOOPSC
  • PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Markup label
  • INInsiders · no filings inside 60 days, left as found
  • POPositioning · no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
  • OPOptions · no verdict drawn today, left as found
  • SCScreen · does not pass the values gate
  • edge confirmed
  • edge broken
  • edge forming

Each arm is one independent read. Conviction is not a single call, it is how many edges converge.

The investor read · the season, not the day

As held on the ledger · 2026-07-27
PhaseMarkup
Quantitative stateConsolidating, no directional conviction, held for 282 days
Price$49.32
Valuation26.80 trailing · 16.71 forward price to earnings
Values screenFAIL · score 10.0
Beta0.45

The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth

Our framework reads AVOID — it trades above our $48.64 fair value estimate, narrow competitive moat, 11.60% revenue growth.

Read at
$49.32
26.80 P/E · 16.71 fwd
Our fair value
$48.64
1% premium
Analyst target (avg)
$53.00
+7% to current
Target low $48.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $56.00
▲ current $49.32 · | average target

Price history & projections · where it has been, where the models see it going

$58.0$43.8$29.7TODAY5y agoPROJECTIONAnalyst high$56.00 +20%Analyst avg$53.00 +14%Our fair value$48.64 +5%Conservative$43.20 -7%

The valuation journey · where the price sits against fair value and the Street

Current
$49.32
you are here
Conservative
$43.20
-12%
Analyst avg
$53.00
+7%
Our fair value
$48.64
-1%
Analyst high
$56.00
+14%

Green marks levels above today's price, red below; the shaded band is the gap between the price and our fair value.

Reading the gap · Our more conservative model reads it as roughly fairly valued here, while the Street is more bullish — a quality-at-a-fair-price name rather than a deep-value one.

Revenue growth11.60%
Profit margin6.94%
Debt to equity198.92
Analyst consensusBuy · 13 covering

Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; target range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.

The values screen, explained · five checks, plain English

This company is excluded by both standards. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor. It fails on both:

The common standard · AAOIFI
Used by most halal investing apps
✗ DOES NOT PASS
Our stricter standard · asset-based
The one Titan applies
✗ DOES NOT PASS

Why it fails. The problem is its debt ratio. Because both standards agree on this, it is a clear exclusion, not a borderline case.

What these two standards are, and how they differ →

  • Business activity Its core business isn't built on prohibited lines — no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending. Pass
  • Debt load Interest-bearing debt is 47.5% of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows. Fail
  • Interest-bearing cash Cash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 1.1% of assets, under the one-third limit. Pass
  • Receivables Money owed to the company is 1.8% of assets, under the 49% limit. Pass
  • Revenue purity Only 0.0% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources — under the 5% line. Pass

Every security is read against two recognised standards: our stricter asset-based screen (ratios measured against total assets) and the more widely used market-value standard (measured against market capitalisation). Where they agree we say so plainly; where they part ways — almost always on the debt check — we show both readings and mark it, because that disagreement is the finding, not a fault. We report the score; you and your scholar make the call.

The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean

Utility keeps lights on but borrows heavily

FirstEnergy keeps the lights on across the Midwest yet runs on borrowed money that trips our ethical screen at the first check. We pass because the shares sit right at fair value with almost no margin of safety and the narrow moat offers little comfort in a tightly regulated business.

Revenue growth looks solid at twelve percent but margins remain thin at seven percent while return on equity sits at just nine. Forward earnings at sixteen and a half times leave no room for the debt burden already flagged as a clear fail.

High leverage leaves the company exposed if rates stay elevated or regulators squeeze allowed returns further. The buy-rated analyst targets ignore that structural weakness.

Analysis, not advice.

The fundamentals · plain-English read
Forward P/E16.7x
priced for continued growth
Trailing P/E26.8x
a premium valuation
Revenue growth11.6%
steady growth
Profit margin6.9%
thin but positive margins
Return on equity9.5%
a modest return on shareholder capital
Debt to equity1.99
a meaningful debt load worth watching
Current ratio0.52
below 1 — short-term bills exceed liquid assets
Beta0.45
barely tracks the market's swings
Market cap$28.5B
Employees11,186

The risks · The things to watch: it carries a real debt load, which raises the stakes if revenue slips.

Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.

Latest news · what the market is reading on FE

Headlines from third-party outlets, linked for reference — not our reporting, not advice.

Related securities · others in FE's space worth a look

Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.

Where & how to trade · wherever in the world you are

FE trades on a US exchange. As a US-listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering US markets. New to this, or investing from outside the US? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.

The trader read · the latest dated commentary

The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved up 6.2% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 2% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 21%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 10%. The street (13 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $52. Entered 2026-07-28 · Distribution

The dated journal · newest first, never edited

2026-07-28 Distribution $49.32 +6.2% Entry 4

The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved up 6.2% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 2% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 21%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 10%. The street (13 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $52.

2026-07-18 Distribution $46.42 +0.0% Entry 3

The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 2% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 21%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 10%. The street (13 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $52.

2026-07-03 Distribution $46.42 +0.0% Entry 2

The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.

2026-07-02 Distribution $46.42 Entry 1

The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns.

Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.

The insider ledger · Form 4 filings, as filed

Most recent filings · FE
DateInsiderTitleTypeSharesValue
2026-04-01 SOMERHALDER JOHN W II Director 837 $42,461
2026-03-11 O'NEIL JAMES FRANCIS III Director 7,945 $402,041
2026-03-10 TAYLOR K JON Officer 26,800 $1,365,272
2026-03-06 LISOWSKI JASON Officer 4,372 $222,308
2026-03-02 LISOWSKI JASON Officer 7,402 ·
2026-02-27 PARK HYUN Officer 38,656 ·
2026-02-27 TAYLOR K JON Officer 66,927 ·
2026-02-27 THOMAS TOBY L. Chief Operating Officer 24,155 ·
2026-02-27 SMITH ALLAN WADE Officer 34,213 ·
2026-02-27 TIERNEY BRIAN X Chief Executive Officer 229,580 ·

Public filings, recorded as found. The full tape lives at Insider Intelligence.

The political ledger · congressional disclosures

Disclosures naming FE
DatePoliticianPartyTypeAmount
27 May2026 John Boozman Republican sell 1K–15K
27 May2026 John Boozman Republican sell 1K–15K
27 May2026 Ro Khanna Democrat buy 1K–15K
2026-05-05 Brian Babin Republican Sale 1K–15K
2026-04-24 Ro Khanna Democrat Purchase 1K–15K

What holding actually paid · price plus dividends

If $1,000 had been placed · historical, not a promise
PeriodPrice thenPrice returnDivs per share$1,000 becameTotal return
1 month $44.60 +4.3% · $1,043 +4.3%
2 months $50.90 -8.6% $0.47 $923 -7.7%
3 months $50.30 -7.5% $0.47 $934 -6.6%
6 months $43.22 +7.7% $0.91 $1,098 +9.8%
1 year $38.54 +20.7% $1.80 $1,254 +25.4%
2 years $35.89 +29.6% $3.52 $1,394 +39.4%
3 years $34.06 +36.6% $5.16 $1,517 +51.7%
5 years $31.61 +47.2% $8.28 $1,734 +73.4%

Historical returns from market close data. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

This entry now belongs to the ledger. Whatever FE does next, these words stay.

FirstEnergy · FE · Markup · $49.32
Recorded 2026-07-27 · before the outcome · scored mechanically

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