分组1 - The Southern Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.74 per share, scheduled for payment on March 6, 2023, to shareholders of record on February 17 [1] - This marks the 78th consecutive year of quarterly dividends equal to or greater than the prior quarter, with the current payment being the 24th consecutive annual increase [2] - The increase in dividends is attributed to employee dedication and predictable growth from state-regulated utilities and long-term contracts, as stated by CEO Christopher Womack [2] 分组2 - Wells Fargo analyst Shahriar Pourreza downgraded Southern's shares from Equal Weight to Underweight, reducing the price target from $97 to $84 [3] - The downgrade is linked to increased political volatility in Georgia following recent elections, although it does not reflect management's execution capabilities, which are regarded highly [4] - Southern Company has a robust and diverse load growth pipeline in the Southeast, primarily driven by data centers and industrial manufacturing, but the upcoming 2026 election cycle may introduce regulatory uncertainty [5] 分组3 - The Southern Company is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and provides electricity to 9 million customers through its subsidiaries across the Southeast [6] - The company operates a diverse portfolio of generation assets, including natural gas, coal, nuclear, and renewable facilities [6]

British Gas owner Centrica says its full-year profit slumped almost 40% https://t.co/utAkC5qPJm ...

Edison International beats quarterly profit estimates on lower interest costs, higher electricity rates | ReutersSkip to main content[Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionalsLearn more aboutRefinitiv]Feb 18 (Reuters) - Edison International [(EIX.N), opens new tab] reported a better-than-expected profit for the fourth quarter on Wednesday, aided by higher electricity rates and a reduction in interest costs tied to wildfirerelated cost-recovery approvals.Shares of the company were ...

Core Insights - The FCC has unanimously adopted a Report and Order to expand the 900 MHz band for broadband deployment from 6 MHz to 10 MHz, which is expected to unlock significant opportunities for Anterix and its partners [1][2][3] Group 1: FCC Decision and Implications - The decision is a result of a joint petition by Anterix and a coalition of energy and technology organizations, aiming to enhance the 900 MHz broadband segment [2] - The FCC's action is anticipated to stimulate the American economy by fostering innovation in utilities and critical infrastructure sectors [3] - Anterix's Chief Regulatory and Corporate Communications Officer emphasized the importance of modern private broadband communications and the finite nature of high-quality, low-band spectrum [3] Group 2: Future Opportunities and Industry Impact - The expansion to 10 MHz is viewed as a significant advancement for mission-critical communications across various sectors, positioning the 900 MHz band as a gold standard for private connectivity [4] - Anterix's President & CEO highlighted that this spectrum expansion marks a new era for critical connectivity, enhancing operational sovereignty for industries that require reliable communications [4] - The company is focused on leveraging this unique spectrum to support digital transformation and resilience in critical infrastructure [6]

Core Insights - The article identifies the 13 best infrastructure stocks to buy, emphasizing the importance of infrastructure companies in industrial economies [1] - Allianz Research highlights a significant global infrastructure investment gap, estimating a need for $4.2 trillion annually, or 3.5% of global GDP, over the next decade to address infrastructure needs [2] - The global infrastructure market is projected to grow from $2.9 trillion in 2025 to $4.5 trillion by 2032, reflecting a 6.6% CAGR, driven by urbanization, demographic changes, and AI-driven digitalization [3] Infrastructure Investment Landscape - Countries are actively investing in infrastructure to meet growing demands, with AI and data center growth expected to be a structural tailwind for infrastructure companies [4] - The analysis identifies 13 infrastructure stocks that are well-positioned to benefit from these trends, based on hedge fund interest and potential upside [5] Methodology for Stock Selection - The initial stock pool was created by analyzing infrastructure-focused ETFs and financial media, leading to the selection of 13 stocks with positive upside potential and significant hedge fund interest as of February 16, 2026 [7] - The strategy of imitating top hedge fund stock picks has historically outperformed the market, with a reported return of 427.7% since May 2014 [8] Company Highlights - **WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC)**: - Hedge fund holders: 37, with a stock upside of 4.50% - Mizuho raised its price target to $121, citing strong Q4 2025 performance with EPS of $5.27, an 8% increase from 2024 [9][10] - The company forecasts a 6.5%-7% EPS CAGR for 2026 and a long-term growth of 7%-8% [11] - WEC has a strong track record of exceeding earnings guidance for 22 consecutive years [13] - **Sempra (NYSE:SRE)**: - Hedge fund holders: 41, with a stock upside of 5.51% - Jefferies lowered its price target to $89 due to California risks related to legal challenges facing SoCalGas [15][16] - BMO Capital cut its price target to $100, labeling the stock's recent decline as an overreaction to litigation concerns [18] - Sempra operates one of the largest energy networks in North America, providing electricity and natural gas to nearly 40 million consumers [20]

Core Insights - U.S. factory production saw a significant increase of 0.6% in January, marking the largest gain in 11 months, following a stagnant December [1][2] - The manufacturing sector, which constitutes 10.1% of the economy, experienced a year-over-year production increase of 2.4% in January [2] - The rise in factory output was broad-based, with durable goods manufacturing output rising by 0.8% and nondurable goods output increasing by 0.4% [4] Manufacturing Sector Performance - Economists had anticipated a production increase of 0.4%, while December's output was revised to a 0.2% rise [2] - Durable goods categories such as machinery, computer and electronic products, and motor vehicles saw notable gains, with motor vehicles and parts rising for the first time since August [4] - Nondurable goods production was bolstered by increases in paper, chemicals, and rubber products [4] Industrial Production Overview - Overall industrial production advanced by 0.7% in January, following a 0.2% increase in December, with a year-over-year growth of 2.3% [5] - Mining output decreased by 0.2%, while utilities production increased by 2.1% due to cold weather conditions [5] Capacity Utilization - Capacity utilization in the industrial sector rose to 76.2% from 75.7% in December, remaining 3.2 percentage points below the long-term average [6] - The operating rate for the manufacturing sector increased to 75.6%, which is 2.6 percentage points below its long-run average [6]

Group 1 - Utilities have increased by 8.3% in the first 31 trading days of the year, outperforming the S&P 500 by 8.5 percentage points [1] - The decline in Treasury yields has positively impacted the utilities sector [1]

Core Insights - Gas and electricity prices remained elevated on average throughout the year due to geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic uncertainty [1] Group 1 - The increase in gas and electricity prices is attributed to ongoing geopolitical tensions [1] - Macroeconomic uncertainty has also contributed to the higher average prices of gas and electricity [1]

Core Viewpoint - A U.S. court has mandated DTE Energy and its subsidiaries to pay $100 million for violating the Clean Air Act related to a coke facility in Michigan [1]. Company Summary - DTE Energy is required to comply with the Clean Air Act following the court ruling [1]. - The financial penalty imposed on DTE Energy amounts to $100 million [1]. Legal Context - The ruling was announced by the Justice Department, highlighting the legal implications for DTE Energy regarding environmental regulations [1].

Core Insights - DTE Energy Company reported strong financial results, with earnings per share (EPS) of $1.80, exceeding the estimated $1.54 [2][6] - The company's revenue for the reported period was approximately $4.43 billion, significantly higher than the estimated $3.39 billion [3][6] - DTE's future outlook for 2026 projects operating EPS in the range of $7.59 to $7.73, aligning with high-end consensus estimates [4][6] Financial Performance - DTE's operating EPS for Q4 2025 reached $1.65, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.52 by 8.6% [2] - GAAP earnings increased to $1.77 per share, up from $1.41 in the same quarter last year [2] - The company made over $4.3 billion in capital investments in 2025 to enhance electric and gas infrastructure reliability and promote cleaner energy generation [3] Strategic Initiatives - DTE Electric allocated over $3.6 billion for infrastructure and sustainability projects [3] - The company secured a landmark agreement to power Oracle's new data center, which is expected to benefit electric customers and boost Michigan's economy [4] Financial Ratios - DTE maintains a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of approximately 20.52 and a price-to-sales ratio of about 1.90 [5] - The enterprise value to sales ratio is around 2.06, and the enterprise value to operating cash flow ratio is approximately 12.00 [5] - DTE's debt-to-equity ratio is about 0.20, indicating a relatively low level of debt [5]