For Immediate Releases Chicago, IL – October 9, 2024 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Evergy Inc. (EVRG) , Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL) , WEC Energy Group Inc. (WEC) , American Water Works Co. Inc. (AWK) and Atmos Energy Corp. (ATO) . Here are highlights from Wednesday's Analyst Blog: Buy These 5 Utility Stoc ...

Investors interested in Utility - Electric Power stocks are likely familiar with Evergy Inc (EVRG) and IdaCorp (IDA) . But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors? We'll need to take a closer look to find out. Everyone has their own methods for finding great value opportunities, but our model includes pairing an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system with a strong Zacks Rank. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and ou ...

Core Viewpoint - Evergy, Inc. (EVRG) is positioned as a solid investment option in the Utility sector due to its strategic capital investments aimed at expanding operations, strengthening infrastructure, and improving reliability [1] Growth Projections & Surprise History - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EVRG's 2024 earnings per share (EPS) is $3.85, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 8.8% [2] - The consensus estimate for 2024 sales is $5.65 billion, indicating a year-over-year growth of 2.5% [2] - EVRG's long-term earnings growth rate is projected at 5.8% over the next three to five years [2] Dividend Yield - Evergy has a current dividend yield of 4.21%, surpassing the industry average of 3.32% [3] - The company aims for a dividend payout ratio in the range of 60-70% per year [3] Debt Position - Evergy's total debt to capital ratio stands at 59.12%, which is below the industry average of 60.5% [4] - The time-to-interest earned ratio was 2.4 at the end of the second quarter, indicating the company's capability to meet future interest obligations [4] Systemic Investments - Evergy plans to invest nearly $12.5 billion in capital by 2028, focusing on transmission, distribution, infrastructure upgrades, and customer-facing platforms [5] - The capital expenditures align with the new Integrated Resource Plan, targeting net-zero emissions by 2045 and a 70% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 [5] Stock Price Performance - EVRG shares have increased by 17.2% over the past three months, outperforming the industry's growth of 11.5% [6]

BofA Securities analyst Ross Fowler reinstated coverage on four US utilities in the Great Plains. The analyst reinstated the Buy rating at Evergy, Inc. EVRG and MDU Resources Group, Inc. MDU. Meanwhile, Fowler reinstated the Neutral rating on OGE Energy Corp OGE and Underperform rating on Black Hills Corporation BKH. EVRG: The analyst reinstated Buy rating with a price target at $66. The analyst says that despite trading at a 10% discount compared to peers on a 2026E P/E basis, the improving Kansas regulato ...

The Utilities group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Evergy Inc (EVRG) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? Let's take a closer look at the stock's yearto-date performance to find out. Evergy Inc is one of 105 companies in the Utilities group. The Utilities group currently sits at #6 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Se ...

Two utility workers in a crane repair a power line. kozmoat98 After a couple of years of significant underperformance, utilities look to be turning the corner. This is because the headwinds of the higher for longer narrative appear to be dissipating. CME FedWatch Tool A rate cut is 100% priced into the equation for the Federal Reserve's meeting later this month on September 18th. The only question is whether the rate cut will be 25 basis points or 50 basis points. Markets are almost evenly divided, with a 6 ...

Company Overview - Evergy Inc (EVRG) is part of the Utilities sector, which consists of 105 companies and currently ranks 7 in the Zacks Sector Rank [2] - The company has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook based on earnings estimates and revisions [3] Performance Analysis - Year-to-date, Evergy Inc has returned 13.5%, outperforming the average Utilities group gain of 12.9% [4] - In comparison to its specific industry, Utility - Electric Power, which has seen an average gain of 16.4% this year, Evergy Inc is slightly underperforming [5] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Evergy's full-year earnings has remained unchanged, indicating stable analyst sentiment regarding the company's earnings outlook [3]

Investors looking for stocks in the Utility - Electric Power sector might want to consider either Evergy Inc (EVRG) or Consolidated Edison (ED) . But which of these two companies is the best option for those looking for undervalued stocks? Let's take a closer look. The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank puts an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while our Style ...

Core Viewpoint - Evergy, Inc. (EVRG) is positioned as a solid investment option in the utility sector due to its strategic capital investments aimed at expanding operations, strengthening infrastructure, and improving reliability [1] Growth Projections - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 earnings per share (EPS) is $3.84, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 8.5% [2] - The consensus estimate for 2025 EPS has risen by 0.2% over the past 30 days to $4.04 [2] - Evergy's long-term earnings growth rate is projected at 5% over the next three to five years [2] Dividend Yield - Evergy offers a current dividend yield of 4.39%, surpassing the industry average of 3.49% [3] - The company targets a dividend payout ratio of 60-70% annually [3] Debt Position - Evergy's total debt to capital ratio stands at 56.34%, lower than the industry average of 60.93% [4] - The time-to-interest earned ratio was 2.4 at the end of the second quarter, indicating the company's capability to meet future interest obligations [4] Systemic Investments - Evergy plans to invest approximately $12.5 billion in capital investments by 2028, focusing on transmission and distribution infrastructure upgrades [5] - The capital expenditures align with the company's Integrated Resource Plan, which aims for net-zero emissions by 2045 and a 70% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 [5] Price Performance - Over the past three months, shares of EVRG have increased by 6.3%, contrasting with a 0.7% decline in the industry [6]

Evergy, Inc. (EVRG) reported second-quarter 2024 operating earnings per share (EPS) of 90 cents, which lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 99 cents by 9.1%. However, the bottom line increased 11.1% from the year-ago quarter's figure of 81 cents. EPS in the reported quarter benefited from warmer-than-normal weather, growth in weather-normalized demand, new retail rates and higher transmission margin, partially offset by higher operation and maintenance expenses, increased depreciation and amortization exp ...