UPDATE: BMO Capital Markets Reiterates Market Perform Rating, Lowers PT on FirstEnergy

In a report published Friday, BMO Capital Markets reiterated its Market Perform rating on FirstEnergy

, but lowered its price target from $48.00 to $44.00. BMO Capital noted, “Since management had withdrawn 2013 EPS guidance in August 2012, FE had underperformed the UTY by ~3% (annualized). The reinstated guidance encompasses consensus and our revised estimate and lifts some uncertainty on the stock. We nonetheless remain concerned about the weak outlook for coal generators and expect low gas prices to continue to suppress margins for FE. In addition, we believe the high RPM capacity prices seen in the 2015/2016 auction may not be sustainable with likely new transmission and/or generation projects potentially eating into the ATSI clearing price premium.” FirstEnergy closed on Thursday at $42.91.