Wall Street expects a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when CMS Energy (CMS) reports results for the quarter ended December 2025. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.The earnings report, which is expected to be released on February 5, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectat ...

Key Takeaways PPL and CMS are investing heavily in grid upgrades and renewables to meet rising electricity demand.CMS posts a higher ROE of 12.1% vs. PPL's 9.08%, outperforming the industry's 10.7% average.PPL currently trades at 18.67X P/E-F12M, slightly above CMS at 18.59X valuation.Stocks in the Zacks Utility-Electric Power industry offer an attractive investment opportunity, supported by stable cash flows and the predictability of regulated business models. Most domestic utilities operate under long-ter ...

Core Insights - CMS Energy Corporation's strong focus on infrastructure modernization and renewable energy investments is likely to support its performance, complemented by the stability of its regulated utility operations in Michigan [1] Group 1: Company Strengths - CMS Energy benefits from stable and regulated utility operations in Michigan, with over 95% of its earnings derived from these low-risk, stable revenue streams [2][8] - The company plans to invest $20 billion in capital expenditures through 2029 to upgrade infrastructure and enhance clean power generation, thereby improving customer reliability and resiliency [3][8] - CMS aims to add 9 GW of solar and 4 GW of wind capacity to its generation portfolio over the next two decades, along with over 850 MW of battery storage by 2030 [4] Group 2: Challenges Faced by CMS - CMS incurs significant costs related to the construction, operation, and closure of solid waste disposal facilities for coal ash, with estimated capital expenditures of $240 million from 2025 through 2029 to comply with regulations [5][8] Group 3: Industry Trends - The shift to renewable energy is prompting electric utilities in the U.S. to evolve, with companies like CMS, Alliant Energy, PPL Corp., and Dominion Energy focusing on expanding their renewable portfolios [6] - Other utilities are also making substantial investments in renewable energy and infrastructure, with Alliant Energy planning $13.4 billion in capital expenditures from 2026 to 2029 [7][10]

In his 1949 classic The Intelligent Investor, the father of value investing, Benjamin Graham, laid out a framework that prioritized financial stability and long-term reliability. One of the most memorable quantitative benchmarks was the requirement for a company toScott Kaufman, aka Treading Softly, learned about investing firsthand from over a decade of financial sector experience. He is the lead analyst for Dividend Kings providing actionable insight into high quality dividend growing and undervalued oppo ...

In his 1949 classic The Intelligent Investor, the father of value investing, Benjamin Graham, laid out a framework that prioritized financial stability and long-term reliability. One of the most memorable quantitative benchmarks was the requirement for a company toScott Kaufman, aka Treading Softly, learned about investing firsthand from over a decade of financial sector experience. He is the lead analyst for Dividend Kings providing actionable insight into high quality dividend growing and undervalued oppo ...

Core Viewpoint - CMS Energy will announce its 2025 year-end results and provide a business and financial outlook on February 5, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. EST [1] Group 1: Company Overview - CMS Energy is a Michigan-based energy company, with Consumers Energy as its primary business [2] - The company also owns and operates independent power generation businesses [2] Group 2: Investor Information - A webcast of the presentation will be available on CMS Energy's website [1] - An audio replay will be accessible approximately three hours after the webcast and will be archived for 30 days in the "Investors" section of the website [1]

Company Overview - CMS Energy Corporation has a market cap of $21.3 billion and operates through Electric Utility, Gas Utility, and NorthStar Clean Energy segments, providing services to approximately 1.9 million electric and 1.8 million gas customers in Michigan [1] Financial Performance - Analysts forecast CMS to report an adjusted EPS of $0.96 for fiscal Q4 2025, representing a 10.3% increase from $0.87 in the same quarter last year [2] - For fiscal 2025, the expected adjusted EPS is $3.59, which is a 7.5% rise from $3.34 in fiscal 2024 [3] - CMS Energy reported a stronger-than-expected Q3 2025 adjusted EPS of $0.93 and revenue of $2.02 billion, leading to an increase in its 2025 adjusted EPS guidance to $3.56 - $3.60 and initiating 2026 guidance at $3.80 - $3.87 [5] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, CMS shares have returned 5.6%, underperforming the S&P 500 Index's 17.7% increase and the State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF's 11.9% gain [4] - The consensus view among analysts is cautiously optimistic, with a "Moderate Buy" rating; eight out of 16 analysts recommend "Strong Buy" while the other eight suggest "Hold" [6] - The average analyst price target for CMS Energy is $79.15, indicating a potential upside of 13.1% from current levels [6]

Core Insights - CMS Energy Corporation (CMS) is enhancing operations through strategic investments while expanding its renewable energy portfolio [1] - The company is exposed to risks such as a weak solvency position and costs related to coal ash disposal [1] Group 1: Growth Drivers - CMS Energy benefits from stable, regulated utility operations in Michigan, with over 95% of earnings generated from regulated electric and gas utilities, providing a low-risk revenue base [2][8] - The company has a strong capital investment plan focused on infrastructure modernization and clean energy transition, with planned capital expenditures of $20 billion from 2025 to 2029 [3][8] - CMS Energy aims to significantly expand its renewable generation portfolio by adding 9 gigawatts (GW) of solar and 4 GW of wind capacity, along with over 850 megawatts (MW) of battery storage by 2030 [4][8] Group 2: Financial Position - As of September 30, 2025, CMS Energy had $362 million in cash and equivalents, $16.77 billion in long-term debt, and $1.16 billion in current debt, indicating a weak solvency position due to higher debt than cash reserves [6] Group 3: Regulatory and Environmental Concerns - Rising stringency in carbon-emission regulations for electricity generation poses a concern, with coal still representing nearly 20% of the company's total generation as of December 31, 2024 [5] - CMS Energy is expected to spend $240 million between 2025 and 2029 to comply with regulations related to coal-ash solid waste disposal facilities [5] Group 4: Stock Performance - In the past year, CMS shares have risen 4.5%, compared to the industry's growth of 20.2% [7]

Core Viewpoint - CMS Energy Corporation (NYSE:CMS) has experienced recent adjustments in its stock price targets by analysts, reflecting a cautious outlook on the utilities sector driven by data centers and growth potential in the upcoming year [2][3]. Group 1: Analyst Price Target Adjustments - Morgan Stanley lowered its price target for CMS Energy from $76 to $71 while maintaining an 'Equal Weight' rating [2]. - JPMorgan reduced its price target from $85 to $80 but kept an 'Overweight' rating, indicating an upside potential of over 14% from the current share price [3]. Group 2: Financial Performance and Guidance - CMS Energy reported better-than-expected results in its third-quarter earnings [4]. - The company slightly raised its 2025 adjusted earnings guidance to a range of $3.56-$3.60 per share, up from the previous range of $3.54-$3.60 [4]. - CMS Energy introduced its 2026 adjusted earnings guidance of $3.80-$3.87 per share and reaffirmed its long-term adjusted EPS growth target of 6%-8% [4].

Core Insights - CMS Energy Corporation has a market capitalization of $21.4 billion and operates primarily through its Electric Utility, Gas Utility, and NorthStar Clean Energy segments, serving 3.7 million customers [1][2] - The company's stock has experienced fluctuations, with an 8.4% decline from its 52-week high of $76.45 and a 1.7% decrease over the past three months, underperforming the S&P 500 Index [3][4] - Despite recent stock performance issues, analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus rating with a mean price target of $80.08, indicating a potential upside of 14.4% from current levels [6] Financial Performance - CMS Energy reported Q3 2025 adjusted EPS of $0.93 and revenue of $2.02 billion, exceeding expectations [5] - The company has raised its 2025 adjusted EPS guidance to a range of $3.56 - $3.60 and initiated 2026 guidance at $3.80 - $3.87 [5] Market Comparison - CMS Energy's stock has increased 5% year-to-date, which is lower than the S&P 500's 17.1% increase [4] - Over the past 52 weeks, CMS shares have risen 3.5%, while the S&P 500 has returned 14.1% [4] - In comparison, rival NextEra Energy, Inc. has shown a year-to-date stock increase of 13.4% and a 52-week increase of 9.6% [5]