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NEE vs XEL
Which Stock Would AI Choose? NextEra Energy (NEE) vs. Xcel Energy (XEL) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- NEE has delivered stronger year-to-date returns of approximately 21% compared to XEL's 11%, driven by robust renewable energy growth.
- Both utilities reported solid Q1 2026 earnings, with NEE adjusted EPS up 10% year-over-year to $1.09 and XEL ongoing EPS rising to $0.91 from $0.84.
- NEE, the world's largest renewable energy producer, boasts a larger market cap (~$200B) versus XEL (~$50B), reflecting greater scale.
- XEL offers a slightly higher dividend yield around 2.9% compared to NEE's 2.6%, appealing to income-focused investors.
- Recent momentum favors NEE amid rising demand for clean energy, while XEL emphasizes regulated stability and infrastructure investments.
- Tickeron's AI tools highlight sector trends that could influence relative performance in utilities.
Introduction
In the utility sector, where stability meets evolving energy demands, NEE (NextEra Energy) and XEL (Xcel Energy) stand out as key players. Both companies provide essential electric and natural gas services across the U.S., benefiting from regulated revenues and growing electricity needs from data centers and electrification. This stock comparison analyzes their recent performance, business models, and market positioning, offering insights for traders seeking momentum and investors prioritizing dividends or growth in a sector sensitive to interest rates and clean energy transitions.
NEE Overview and Recent Performance
NEE, the parent of Florida Power & Light and NextEra Energy Resources, is the world's leading producer of wind and solar power. It serves over 12 million people with a focus on renewables, nuclear, and natural gas. In recent market activity, NEE shares have shown resilience, trading around $96 with year-to-date gains of about 21%, outperforming the S&P 500's 6%. Q1 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) rose 10% to $1.09, beating estimates, fueled by strong originations and a record 4 GW of new renewables and storage added to its 33 GW backlog. Sentiment remains positive on Florida's growth and clean energy demand, though higher financing costs pose risks amid elevated interest rates.
XEL Overview and Recent Performance
XEL (Xcel Energy) operates as a regulated utility across eight states, delivering electricity from wind, nuclear, coal, and natural gas, plus natural gas distribution. Recent weeks have seen shares around $81, with year-to-date returns near 11%, trailing broader utilities but stable relative to the market. Q1 2026 ongoing EPS increased to $0.91 from $0.84, matching estimates despite warm weather impacting sales; revenues hit $4.02 billion. Drivers include infrastructure recoveries and sales growth, offset by depreciation and financing costs. Positive factors encompass reaffirmed 2026 EPS guidance of $4.04-$4.16 and data center expansions, though wildfire litigation adds uncertainty.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
NEE and XEL share regulated utility models but diverge in growth drivers: NEE's renewables leadership yields higher momentum and a massive backlog, contrasting XEL's balanced portfolio and transmission focus. Recent performance tilts to NEE with superior YTD gains and EPS growth, versus XEL's steadier but lagging returns. Risk factors include interest rate sensitivity for both (higher debt at NEE ~$104B vs. XEL ~$36B), plus XEL's wildfire exposures. Sector exposure favors NEE in clean energy tailwinds, while XEL offers Midwest stability. Market sentiment leans bullish on NEE's scale (~$200B market cap, P/E ~24) over XEL (~$50B, P/E ~23), trading off growth for yield.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors NEE due to superior trend consistency, renewable catalysts, and relative YTD outperformance amid rising power demand. While XEL provides stability and attractive yield, NEE's backlog and EPS trajectory suggest higher probability of near-term upside in a growth-oriented utility environment.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is NEE is a Hold and XEL is a Hold.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
NEE’s FA Score shows that 0 FA rating(s) are green whileXEL’s FA Score has 0 green FA rating(s).
- NEE’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
- XEL’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
NEE’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while XEL’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- NEE’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 4 bearish.
- XEL’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
Price Growth
NEE (@Electric Utilities) experienced а +0.28% price change this week, while XEL (@Electric Utilities) price change was -1.85% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Electric Utilities industry was -0.83%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -2.32%, and the average quarterly price growth was +3.10%.
Reported Earning Dates
NEE is expected to report earnings on Jul 29, 2026.
XEL is expected to report earnings on Jul 23, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Electric Utilities (-0.83% weekly)Electric utilities companies generate, transmit and distribute electricity to businesses/offices and residences. Companies may be owned by the government or investors or public shareholders, or a combination thereof. The industry also includes firms that buy and sell electricity. Companies in this industry typically require significant investments in infrastructure. Many firms in this industry pay substantial and regular dividends to shareholders. However, changes in interest rates (and their impact on debt burdens), natural disasters and changing commodity prices could be factors affecting energy utilities’ profit margins. NextEra Energy, Inc., Duke Energy Corporation, Dominion Energy Inc. and Southern Company are among U.S. electric utilities companies with the largest market capitalizations.
| NEE | XEL | NEE / XEL | |
| Capitalization | 195B | 48.6B | 401% |
| EBITDA | 17.1B | 6.38B | 268% |
| Gain YTD | 17.086 | 6.276 | 272% |
| P/E Ratio | 23.70 | 22.46 | 106% |
| Revenue | 27.9B | 14.8B | 189% |
| Total Cash | 2B | 1.76B | 114% |
| Total Debt | 104B | 39.2B | 265% |
NEE | XEL | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 82 | 84 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 73 Overvalued | 64 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 64 | 59 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 55 | 72 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 41 | 55 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 65 | 41 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 49 | 75 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
XEL's Valuation (64) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as NEE (73). This means that XEL’s stock grew similarly to NEE’s over the last 12 months.
XEL's Profit vs Risk Rating (59) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as NEE (64). This means that XEL’s stock grew similarly to NEE’s over the last 12 months.
NEE's SMR Rating (55) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as XEL (72). This means that NEE’s stock grew similarly to XEL’s over the last 12 months.
NEE's Price Growth Rating (41) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as XEL (55). This means that NEE’s stock grew similarly to XEL’s over the last 12 months.
XEL's P/E Growth Rating (41) in the Electric Utilities industry is in the same range as NEE (65). This means that XEL’s stock grew similarly to NEE’s over the last 12 months.
| NEE | XEL | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | N/A | 6 days ago 57% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 70% | 3 days ago 56% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 46% | 3 days ago 48% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 52% | 3 days ago 57% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 62% | 3 days ago 49% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 63% | 3 days ago 44% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 61% | 4 days ago 51% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 10 days ago 57% | 10 days ago 47% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 57% | 3 days ago 40% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 44% | 3 days ago 46% |
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XEL and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, XEL has been closely correlated with LNT. These tickers have moved in lockstep 76% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if XEL jumps, then LNT could also see price increases.