Where it trades today
trading 4% of the way up its 52-week range
How the price has moved
What to weigh before acting
What Matters Now
- Rate sensitivity and regulatory visibility matter because the market tends to reward predictable cash generation here.
- XEL trades at 19.8x earnings, well above the utilities average of 16.0x, so the market is already pricing in above-consensus execution.
- XEL carries a beta of 0.40, which means the stock should be judged on how it affects total portfolio swings, not just on standalone upside.
- XEL remains in a bearish short-term trend and sits 14.2% below its high, which raises the bar for any thesis that depends on fast multiple expansion.
Portfolio Use Case
- XEL is more relevant for investors who want some income support alongside price appreciation, not just pure growth exposure.
- The beta profile suggests it can fit a quality or lower-volatility sleeve more naturally than a high-octane tactical basket.
- This page is most useful for deciding whether the stock deserves a permanent slot in the portfolio or just a place on the watchlist.
What Would Change the View
- A reset in earnings expectations or a faster peer catch-up could compress the premium valuation currently embedded in XEL.
- A recovery in price alone would not be enough to improve the view; the thesis needs confirmation from improving business or valuation signals.
- Volatility is already above the sector norm, so even a correct long-term thesis can be painful if the position size is too aggressive.
Methodology
- Price, market cap, beta, yield, and liquidity fields for XEL come from Yahoo Finance quote and summary data.
- 30-day volatility is calculated from recent daily returns and annualized using a 252-trading-day convention.
- Sector context uses stored benchmark averages for Utilities so each page compares the ticker against a stable peer baseline rather than against the whole market.
- Peer comparisons use the Portfolio Terminal coverage set and highlight nearby listed alternatives such as NEE, DUK, SO.
Sources
- Yahoo Finance quote dataopen →
Live quote, valuation, beta, yield, and volume fields used for XEL. Last refresh: Sep 18, 2026, 10:56 PM.
- Portfolio Terminal methodologyopen →
Explains how analytics, refresh cadence, and portfolio interpretation work across the product.
- Peer set and coverage context
Comparative context for this page is anchored around nearby tracked names such as NEE, DUK, SO.
What Xcel Energy does
Xcel Energy Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as an electric and natural gas delivery company in the United States. It operates through Regulated Electric Utility and Regulated Natural Gas Utility segments. The company generates, purchases, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity through its energy portfolio, including wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, biomass, and solar power from both owned generation facilities and PPAs, as well as its fossil fuel energy portfolio, such as coal and natural gas; sale and resale of wholesale transmission service; and engages in wholesale commodity and trading operations. It also purchases, transports, stores, distributes, and sells natural gas;…
Employees
11,534
Industry
Utilities - Regulated Electric
Headquarters
Minneapolis, United States
What analysts expect
XEL is tracked by 17 analysts, with an average price target of $91.76 versus $72.30 today (+26.9%). Targets are estimates and can move quickly after earnings.
Consensus aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Targets are estimates, not forecasts.
How the business is doing
XEL generated $14.62B in trailing revenue (-5.1% year over year), with a 15.3% net margin, and -$7.91B of free cash flow, against $39.63B of net debt.
The numbers, year by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Gross profit | Operating income | Net income | EPS | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $14.67B | $6.92B | $2.88B | $2.02B | $3.44 | -$6.83B |
| 2024 | $13.44B | $6.15B | $2.39B | $1.94B | $3.44 | -$2.72B |
| 2023 | $14.21B | $5.98B | $2.59B | $1.77B | $3.21 | -$527.00M |
| 2022 | $15.31B | $5.86B | $2.43B | $1.74B | $3.18 | -$706.00M |
When it reports next
Estimates aggregated by Yahoo Finance. Dates move and estimates change until the report lands.
How it sits in utilities
Stable, regulated sector providing electricity, gas, and water services.
The companies it competes with
XEL beside the utilities names it is usually measured against.
What the chart is saying
Xcel Energy trades at $72.30, 14.2% below its 52-week high. With a beta of 0.40, it shows less sensitivity to what the wider market does.
Questions people ask about it
Is XEL a good buy right now?
Xcel Energy trades at 19.8x earnings. This is near market average. Current risk level is Medium based on 18.8% volatility.
Does XEL pay dividends?
Yes, Xcel Energy offers a dividend yield of 3.22%. That is roughly $2.33 per share a year.
How volatile is XEL?
With 30-day annualized volatility of 18.8% and beta of 0.40, XEL is classified as Medium risk. The stock tends to be more stable than the market average.
What is the analyst price target for XEL?
The average analyst price target for Xcel Energy (XEL) is $91.76 based on 17 analyst estimates, about 26.9% above the current price of $72.30. The published range runs from $74.00 to $101.00.
How much revenue does XEL generate?
Xcel Energy reported $14.62B in trailing twelve-month revenue. Revenue growth is running at -5.1% year over year. Net margin sits at 15.3%. Figures are aggregated from company filings by Yahoo Finance and refresh on an hourly cadence.