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Xcel Energy (XEL) reported $3.12 billion in revenue for the quarter ended December 2024, representing a year-over-year decline of 9.4%. EPS of $0.81 for the same period compares to $0.83 a year ago.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.72 billion, representing a surprise of -16.07%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -6.90%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.87.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
Here is how Xcel performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
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Operating revenues- Electric and natural gas: $3.11 billion compared to the $3.72 billion average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -9.1% year over year.
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Operating revenues- Other: $15 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of -$30.78 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -46.4%.
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Operating revenues- Natural Gas: $695 million compared to the $763.09 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -3.3% year over year.
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Operating revenues- Electric: $2.41 billion versus $3 billion estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -10.6% change.
View all Key Company Metrics for Xcel here>>>
Shares of Xcel have returned +2.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.1% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
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Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL) : Free Stock Analysis Report