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Xcel Energy

XEL
40
Regulated Electric · Utilities
Also trades as: 0M1R.L
Price
$76.30
-2.41 (-3.06%)
Market Cap
$47.66B
Exchange
NASDAQ
Winston Score
40
Winston is serious
Mixed quality — meaningful strengths and weaknesses.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Jun 30, 2026
How the score breaks down
Quality
Good
Growth
Good
Cash Flow
Weak
Stability
Mixed
Valuation
Good
Dividends
Good

Share count rising — dilution

+9.1% over 4y

The company has issued more shares over this period, which dilutes each existing shareholder’s stake.

Diluted shares outstanding: 540.0M (2021) → 589.0M (2025)

Winston Score History

The full picture

Xcel Energy is a regulated electric and natural gas utility that delivers power and heat to homes, businesses, and industrial customers across eight states in the American Midwest and Southwest. Its main brands include Xcel Energy, Public Service Company of Colorado, and Northern States Power. The company is one of the largest producers of wind energy among U.S. utilities, serving roughly 3.7 million electric customers and 2.1 million natural gas customers.

Xcel makes money by charging customers for electricity and natural gas delivery under rates approved by state regulators, which limits both its upside and downside. Because regulators set prices, the business generates steady, predictable cash flows — a classic utility moat. The company operates almost entirely in the U.S. and has a market cap near $49 billion. Its key growth driver is heavy investment in renewable energy and grid upgrades, though rising construction costs and regulatory approval delays remain the main risks to earnings growth.

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Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

-5.1% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Revenue declining

EPS Growth

+22.4% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Steady EPS growth

R&D Spend

$0/ year

0.0% of revenue

Below sector average (1%)

Research and development spending

Insider Activity

0.3%ownership

Flat

Insider ownership roughly steady over the past year

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

$2.0B cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↓ Burn rate worsening

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Revenue declining

Xcel Energy's revenue is actually shrinking. In a growth stock, that removes the core investment thesis. The low Winston Score here may be warranted — unless there's a turnaround story.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

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Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
60.6%
Premium pricing power — 60.6% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
22.6%
Excellent — 22.6% operating margin
Return on the money invested
ROCE
4.7%
Weak — 4.7% return on capital

ROIC between 0% and 5%. They earn a few cents back per dollar invested in the business.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
+4.7%
Slow sales growth (+4.7% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
+1.4%
Flat earnings

Single-digit earnings growth — steady but not exciting.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
6/8 quarters
Earnings grew in most of the last 8 quarters

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
-18%
Weak — only -18% of profit becomes cash
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
-75.8%
Burning cash (-75.8%)

Free cash flow is negative. They are burning cash, not generating it.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
1.68
Elevated debt (1.68)
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
1.90x
Dangerous — barely covers interest (1.9x)

Interest coverage between 1 and 3. Profits cover interest, but with little room to spare.

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
20.8x
Growth-priced — P/E 20.8

P/E above the market average. People are paying up for expected growth.

Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
+5.3
GROWING
Earnings expected to grow meaningfully — cheaper on forward P/E (20.8 → 15.5)

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Dividends

Dividend
Dividend Yield
2.99%
Moderate income — 2.99% yield

Standard yield zone for stable dividend payers. A meaningful piece of total return.

Dividend record
Dividend Growth
+4.0%
Dividend growing modestly (4.0% YoY)

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