Zacks Research Increases Earnings Estimates for Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q1 2025 earnings per share estimates for Xcel Energy in a report released on Thursday, March 27th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now expects that the company will post earnings of $0.95 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.94. 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 Q2 2025 earnings at $0.62 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $1.28 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.50 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $4.13 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $4.44 EPS.

Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.87 by ($0.06). Xcel Energy had a return on equity of 10.65% and a net margin of 14.40%.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on XEL. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Xcel Energy from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Barclays decreased their price target on Xcel Energy from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Xcel Energy from $70.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Finally, KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of Xcel Energy from $74.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $72.30.

Xcel Energy Stock Performance

Shares of XEL opened at $69.72 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.82. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $68.59 and its 200-day moving average is $67.27. Xcel Energy has a 12-month low of $51.97 and a 12-month high of $73.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.37.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Xcel Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dakota Wealth Management grew its position in Xcel Energy by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Dakota Wealth Management now owns 23,130 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,562,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC increased its position in Xcel Energy by 26.0% during the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 731 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. GenTrust LLC raised its holdings in Xcel Energy by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. GenTrust LLC now owns 3,602 shares of the company’s stock valued at $243,000 after buying an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 23.2% in the fourth quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 827 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Integris Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Xcel Energy by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Integris Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,323 shares of the company’s stock worth $427,000 after buying an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.38% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Xcel Energy

In other news, Director Devin W. Stockfish purchased 2,170 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $68.93 per share, with a total value of $149,578.10. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $207,272.51. This trade represents a 259.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Xcel Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.57 dividend. This is an increase from Xcel Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.27%. Xcel Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 66.28%.

Xcel Energy Company Profile

Xcel Energy Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, purchasing, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. It operates through Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility, and All Other segments. The company generates electricity through wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, biomass, and solar energy sources, as well as coal, natural gas, oil, wood, and refuse-derived fuels.