Gear Up for Xcel (XEL) Q4 Earnings: Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics

In its upcoming report, Xcel Energy (XEL) is predicted by Wall Street analysts to post quarterly earnings of $0.97 per share, reflecting an increase of 19.8% compared to the same period last year. Revenues are forecasted to be $3.73 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 19.4%.

The current level reflects a downward revision of 2.1% in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter over the past 30 days. This demonstrates how the analysts covering the stock have collectively reappraised their initial projections over this period.

Prior to a company's earnings announcement, it is crucial to consider revisions to earnings estimates. This serves as a significant indicator for predicting potential investor actions regarding the stock. Empirical research has consistently demonstrated a robust correlation between trends in earnings estimate revision and the short-term price performance of a stock.

While investors typically use consensus earnings and revenue estimates as a yardstick to evaluate the company's quarterly performance, scrutinizing analysts' projections for some of the company's key metrics can offer a more comprehensive perspective.

With that in mind, let's delve into the average projections of some Xcel metrics that are commonly tracked and projected by analysts on Wall Street.

Analysts' assessment points toward 'Operating revenues- Electric and natural gas' reaching $3.71 billion. The estimate points to a change of +19.5% from the year-ago quarter.

It is projected by analysts that the 'Operating revenues- Natural Gas' will reach $689.11 million. The estimate suggests a change of -0.9% year over year.

The consensus among analysts is that 'Operating revenues- Other' will reach $22.88 million. The estimate indicates a change of +52.5% from the prior-year quarter.

Analysts forecast 'Operating revenues- Electric' to reach $3.03 billion. The estimate indicates a change of +25.7% from the prior-year quarter.

Shares of Xcel have experienced a change of +0.6% in the past month compared to the +1.8% move of the Zacks S&P 500 composite. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), XEL is expected to mirror the overall market performance in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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