NextEra Gets Boost From ‘Strong Tailwinds,’ Sees Solid Earnings Ahead

NextEra Energy (NEE) shares advanced in intraday trading Wednesday as the renewable energy provider reported better-than-expected adjusted profit as it benefited from “strong tailwinds” and gave a positive outlook.

The company posted second-quarter adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.96, $0.06 better than the average of analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha. Operating revenue fell to $6.07 billion from $7.35 billion a year ago, missing forecasts of $7.03 billion.

Net income at its Florida Power & Light subsidiary increased by $80 million to $1.23 billion, primarily driven by continued investment in the business. Net income at its NextEra Energy Resources unit rose on an adjusted basis by $84 million to $865 million as it increased power production, with some of that coming through an agreement with Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google to meet data center power demand.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Ketchum said those “strong tailwinds” are creating “opportunities to replace less efficient and more expensive power generation, as well as add new generation to meet growing power demand across sectors.” He argued that NextEra’s competitive advantages put it at the center of those opportunities. 

CEO Expects Strong Adjusted Profit Through 2027

Ketchum added the company “will be disappointed if we are not able to deliver financial results at or near the top of our adjusted earnings per share expectations ranges each year through 2027, while maintaining our strong balance sheet and credit ratings.” 

NextEra affirmed its earlier guidance for the next four fiscal years.

Shares of NextEra Energy rose 4.1% to $75.10 as of 3 p.m. ET Wednesday and are up about 24% year-to-date.