Zacks Research Has Weak Estimate for Xcel Energy Q3 Earnings

Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research lowered their Q3 2026 earnings estimates for Xcel Energy in a report issued on Thursday, January 15th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $1.44 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.45. The consensus estimate for Xcel Energy’s current full-year earnings is $3.82 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Xcel Energy’s Q4 2026 earnings at $1.04 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $4.46 EPS.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Xcel Energy in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $93.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Xcel Energy in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. They issued a “moderate buy” rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $84.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Xcel Energy from $85.00 to $82.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underperform” rating and set a $84.00 price objective on shares of Xcel Energy in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Xcel Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $87.00.

Xcel Energy Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of Xcel Energy stock opened at $75.36 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $76.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $75.41. Xcel Energy has a fifty-two week low of $64.61 and a fifty-two week high of $83.01. The firm has a market cap of $44.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.08). Xcel Energy had a net margin of 13.46% and a return on equity of 10.45%. The firm had revenue of $3.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.89 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year.

Xcel Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 20th. Investors of record on Monday, December 29th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 29th. Xcel Energy’s payout ratio is 69.51%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Xcel Energy

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Xcel Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. ORG Partners LLC lifted its position in Xcel Energy by 168.4% during the 3rd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 314 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in Xcel Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Abound Wealth Management boosted its holdings in Xcel Energy by 394.5% during the fourth quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 288 shares during the period. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC grew its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 202.2% in the second quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 417 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.38% of the company’s stock.

About Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) is a Minneapolis-based, publicly traded utility holding company that develops, owns and operates regulated electricity and natural gas delivery systems. The company’s core activities include generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, the delivery of natural gas to customers, and related customer service operations. Xcel provides a mix of utility services to residential, commercial and industrial customers and participates in wholesale energy markets where appropriate.

Its generation portfolio combines nuclear, natural gas, coal and a growing share of renewable resources such as wind and solar.