NextEra Energy Stock Earnings Estimates Reduced by KeyCorp

NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) – Stock analysts at KeyCorp decreased their FY2028 earnings per share estimates for shares of NextEra Energy in a research note issued to investors on Monday, October 12th. KeyCorp analyst S. Karp now expects that the utilities provider will post earnings per share of $4.70 for the year, down from their prior forecast of $4.73. The consensus estimate for NextEra Energy’s current full-year earnings is $4.03 per share.

NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The utilities provider reported $1.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.04. NextEra Energy had a return on equity of 12.28% and a net margin of 32.40%. The business had revenue of $7.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.05 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 12.4% compared to the same quarter last year. NextEra Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.920-4.020 EPS.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on NEE. Barclays set a $91.00 price target on shares of NextEra Energy and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Wells Fargo & Company raised NextEra Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating on shares of NextEra Energy in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Seaport Research Partners restated a “sell” rating and set a $56.00 price objective (up from $55.00) on shares of NextEra Energy in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered NextEra Energy from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $99.65.

NextEra Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NEE stock opened at $78.41 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $81.34 and its 200-day simple moving average is $86.76. NextEra Energy has a 52 week low of $74.41 and a 52 week high of $98.75. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The company has a market cap of $163.57 billion, a PE ratio of 17.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.64.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NextEra Energy

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NEE. Nvwm LLC increased its holdings in NextEra Energy by 7.6% in the third quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 24,099 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,825,000 after buying an additional 1,698 shares during the last quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC grew its position in NextEra Energy by 24.4% in the third quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 357,300 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,062,000 after acquiring an additional 70,000 shares in the last quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH grew its position in NextEra Energy by 0.4% in the third quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 786,622 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $59,579,000 after acquiring an additional 3,217 shares in the last quarter. Howard Financial Services LTD. grew its position in NextEra Energy by 11.9% in the third quarter. Howard Financial Services LTD. now owns 4,576 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $347,000 after acquiring an additional 488 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mather Group LLC. increased its stake in shares of NextEra Energy by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 12,936 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $980,000 after purchasing an additional 770 shares during the last quarter. 78.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

NextEra Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 28th were given a dividend of $0.6232 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 28th. This represents a $2.49 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. NextEra Energy’s payout ratio is currently 55.96%.

Key Headlines Impacting NextEra Energy

Here are the key news stories impacting NextEra Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Large AI-energy project strengthens long-term growth prospects. NextEra and Brookfield plan to develop a roughly $100 billion AI hub in Kentucky, including a 1.8-GW data-center campus, 2 GW of gas-fired generation and 2.6 GW of battery storage. The project could create substantial future demand for NextEra’s power-generation, storage and infrastructure capabilities. Brookfield, NextEra to Build $100 Billion AI Hub on Cold War Nuclear Site
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings expectations remain constructive. Zacks highlighted NextEra’s history of exceeding estimates and identified conditions that could support another quarterly earnings beat. KeyCorp also raised its fourth-quarter 2026 EPS forecast to $0.49 from $0.44, while Wells Fargo reiterated a Buy rating with a $108 price target. Will NextEra Beat Estimates Again? NextEra Receives a Buy from Wells Fargo
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend growth remains an appeal. NextEra has raised its dividend for 31 consecutive years, and its earnings outlook could support continued increases, reinforcing the stock’s attraction to income-oriented investors. This Utility Has Raised Its Dividend for 31 Straight Years
• Neutral Sentiment: Governance settlement removes a legal overhang but adds oversight. A proposed $15.5 million insurance-funded settlement in shareholder litigation includes governance reforms lasting at least four years. The resolution may improve investor confidence, though the reforms could increase scrutiny of management. Why NextEra Energy Is Getting Attention
• Negative Sentiment: Higher rates remain a valuation risk. Morgan Stanley identified NextEra among clean-tech companies vulnerable to further valuation pressure as interest rates rise, an important concern for a capital-intensive utility with significant financing needs. Clean Tech Firms Facing Q3 Valuation Impact on Higher Rates
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst estimate revisions are mixed. KeyCorp lowered its 2026 EPS forecast to $3.96 from $4.02 and trimmed estimates for 2027, 2029 and 2030, while reducing its third-quarter forecast to $1.23 from $1.34. These cuts temper the otherwise positive earnings-beat narrative.

NextEra Energy Company Profile

NextEra Energy, Inc is an electric power and energy infrastructure company headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida. Through its principal subsidiary, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), the company generates, transmits, distributes and sells electricity to customers across Florida. FPL serves residential, commercial and industrial customers and operates a diverse generation portfolio that includes natural gas, solar, nuclear and other resources.

NextEra Energy’s other major business, NextEra Energy Resources, develops, owns and operates energy projects in the United States and Canada.