Here's Why NI Stock Deserves a Spot in Your Portfolio Right Now

Core Insights - NiSource Inc. (NI) is focused on modernizing its infrastructure and transitioning from coal-based units to clean energy assets, making it a strong investment in the Utility-Electric Power industry [1] Growth Outlook & Surprise History - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NI's 2025 earnings per share (EPS) is $1.88, indicating a year-over-year growth of 7.43% [2] - The revenue estimate for 2025 is $6.26 billion, suggesting a year-over-year improvement of 14.70% [2] - NI's long-term earnings growth rate is projected at 7.93% [2] - The company has beaten earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters, with an average surprise of 3.23% [2] Dividend History - NI has consistently increased shareholder value through dividends, currently paying a quarterly dividend of 28 cents per share, leading to an annualized dividend of $1.12 [3] - The current dividend yield stands at 2.56%, outperforming the S&P 500 composite average of 1.09% [3] Capital Investment Focus - NI's capital investment plan anticipates expenditures between $26.4 billion and $28.4 billion for the period of 2026-2030 [4] - Strategic investments include the development of two 1,300-megawatt natural gas-fired turbines, 400 megawatts of new battery storage, and upgrades to critical transmission infrastructure [5] Debt Structure - NI's total debt to capital ratio is 58.37%, which is better than the industry average of 59.51% [6] - The company's capital structure is more efficient due to lower reliance on debt [6] Solvency Ratio - NI's times interest earned (TIE) ratio at the end of Q3 2025 was 3.0, indicating strong capability to meet long-term debt obligations [7] Share Price Performance - Over the past year, NI's shares have increased by 14.4%, although this lags behind the industry's growth of 16.2% [10]