Meritz Securities reported on May 14 that while the lowered annual performance consensus for Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) is putting pressure on its stock price, focusing solely on short-term results could overlook structural improvements. The firm maintained its target price at 65,000 won and its investment opinion at 'Buy.'
Analyst Moon Kyung-won noted that KEPCO's operating profit for the first quarter reached 3.78 trillion won, falling short of the consensus estimate of 4.24 trillion won. He attributed this shortfall primarily to a nuclear power utilization rate of 71.0%. He added that while the coal utilization rate was 52.4%, it was insufficient to compensate for the decline.
Moon highlighted that the PRS (price-to-earnings swap) costs were lower than expected, predicting that the increase in PRS costs would diminish in the second half of the year. However, he expressed optimism about valuation increases due to the nuclear power business and the consolidation of power generation subsidiaries.
He explained that the nuclear power business is progressing in phases, with external service results expected to be released in May or June. Following this, a governance integration focused on nuclear power exports led by KEPCO is anticipated.
Moon expects that this will lead to concrete plans for nuclear investments in the U.S. in the second half of the year, and he noted that the selection of a contractor for the Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear project in Vietnam is expected by the end of the year.
Additionally, he stated that the consolidation of power generation subsidiaries could enhance the company's value. If the government proceeds with the proposed 'Korea Power Generation Corporation Act' to purchase shares from KEPCO's five power generation companies, this process could lead to a reevaluation of the subsidiary's equity value.
He also mentioned that the elimination of inefficiencies among power generation subsidiaries, acceleration of energy transition, and strengthening of KEPCO's independence are expected to contribute to valuation increases.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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