Natural Gas Utilities Poised for Gains from Data Center Construction
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Source: seekingalpha
- Data Center Drive: The construction of numerous data centers has been a major driver of utility sector gains over the past year, particularly benefiting electric utilities, while natural gas utilities may also see potential, especially as Texas mandates on-site power generation for data centers.
- Natural Gas Turbine Opportunity: Natural gas utilities like Atmos Energy (ATO) and NiSource (NI) operating in Texas and Virginia could benefit from the installation of natural gas turbines at data centers, leading to more attractive valuations and enhanced market competitiveness.
- Xcel Energy Investment Opportunity: Kody's Dividends recommends Xcel Energy (XEL) as the best utility play, projecting a 9% annual diluted EPS growth through 2030, with its current trading price nearly 10% below fair value, making it an attractive investment.
- Attractiveness of National Grid: Wolf Report highlights U.K.-based National Grid (NGG) as a value play with a near-4% yield and double-digit growth rate, indicating resilience against rising interest rates and climate change impacts due to its diversified international exposure.
Analyst Views on NEE
Wall Street analysts forecast NEE stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for NEE is 92.50 USD with a low forecast of 84.00 USD and a high forecast of 100.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
16 Analyst Rating
12 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 85.070
Low
84.00
Averages
92.50
High
100.00
Current: 85.070
Low
84.00
Averages
92.50
High
100.00
About NEE
NextEra Energy, Inc. is an electric power and energy infrastructure company. It operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC and NextEra Energy Transmission, LLC (collectively, NEER) and Florida Power & Light Company (FPL). Its segments include NEER and FPL. FPL segment is a rate-regulated electric utility engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electric energy in Florida. FPL has approximately 35,052 megawatts of net generating capacity, over 91,000 circuit miles of transmission and distribution lines and 921 substations. The NEER segment owns, develops, constructs, manages and operates electric generation facilities in wholesale energy markets in the United States and Canada and includes assets and investments in other businesses with a clean energy focus, such as battery storage, natural gas pipelines, and renewable fuels. It owns, develops, constructs and operates rate-regulated transmission facilities in North America.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
