Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: XEL) has garnered a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from seventeen research firms currently monitoring the stock, according to MarketBeat. The analysis indicates a varied outlook: one analyst recommends selling, another suggests holding, while thirteen have issued buy recommendations and two have rated the stock as a strong buy. The average price target among the analysts who have revised their assessments over the past year stands at approximately $87.14.
Several brokerages have provided updates on Xcel Energy’s stock. On November 20, 2023, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underperform” rating, establishing a price objective of $84.00. In contrast, Mizuho raised its price target from $83.00 to $87.00, assigning an “outperform” rating on October 27, 2023. KeyCorp also increased its price target from $79.00 to $85.00, while giving the company an “overweight” rating on October 15, 2023. On November 5, 2023, Barclays followed suit by adjusting its price objective from $83.00 to $85.00, maintaining an “overweight” rating. Furthermore, Jefferies Financial Group lifted its target price from $84.00 to $92.00, assigning a “buy” rating on October 16, 2023.
As for market performance, Xcel Energy shares saw a decrease of 0.8% on a recent trading day, opening at $77.18. The stock has fluctuated between a one-year low of $62.58 and a high of $83.01. With a market capitalization of $45.66 billion, Xcel Energy’s price-to-earnings ratio is currently 23.53, alongside a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.45. The company’s fifty-day moving average price is $80.52, while the two-hundred day moving average stands at $74.24.
Financial stability can be assessed through various metrics, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 0.79, and a quick ratio of 0.69. Xcel Energy last reported its earnings results on October 29, 2023. The company posted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.24, falling short of analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by $0.08. Revenue for the quarter reached $3.92 billion, surpassing projections of $3.89 billion. Compared to the same quarter last year, revenue increased by 7.4%, although the EPS for that period was reported at $1.25. Analysts expect Xcel Energy to achieve an EPS of 3.82 for the current fiscal year.
Xcel Energy Inc. operates through its subsidiaries in the generation, purchasing, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. Its operations consist of segments including Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility, and All Other. The company generates electricity from a diverse range of sources, including wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, biomass, solar, coal, natural gas, oil, wood, and refuse-derived fuels.
As Xcel Energy navigates varying analyst opinions and market fluctuations, stakeholders are closely monitoring the company’s performance and future outlook.
