NextEra Energy CEO Trims Stake 47% as Q4 EPS Beats, Revenue Up 20.7%
CEO Armando Pimentel Jr. sold 145,140 shares at an average $83.91 for $12.18 M, reducing his NextEra Energy stake by 47.15%, while EVP Ronald R. Reagan sold 10,826 shares at $85 for $920,210, cutting his position by 40.9%. The company posted Q4 EPS of $0.54 versus $0.53 consensus and revenue of $6.56 B, up 20.7% year-over-year.
1. Institutional Stake Reduction
KeyBank National Association OH trimmed its position in NextEra Energy by 2.7% during the third quarter, offloading 40,231 shares and ending the period with 1,424,130 shares valued at approximately $107.5 million. This holding represented roughly 0.07% of the company’s outstanding shares at quarter-end. Several smaller asset managers also adjusted their exposure: Activest Wealth Management increased its position by 79.7% to 354 shares, Quaker Wealth Management boosted its stake by 200% to 386 shares, and Harbor Asset Planning, Goodman Advisory Group and Tripletail Wealth Management each initiated positions of about 300 shares apiece. Overall, institutional investors and hedge funds account for 78.72% of NextEra Energy’s float.
2. Analyst Rating Updates
Equity research teams have recently refreshed their outlooks on NextEra Energy. Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating with a $104 price target, UBS maintained a buy rating at $91, HSBC raised its target modestly from $94 to $95, and BTIG reaffirmed a buy stance at $103. Weiss Ratings also reiterated a buy (b-) opinion. In aggregate, two analysts rank the stock as Strong Buy, thirteen as Buy and four as Hold, resulting in a consensus Moderate Buy recommendation and an average price target near $92.67.
3. Insider Sales Activity
CEO Armando Pimentel, Jr. disposed of 145,140 shares on November 17, realizing proceeds of $12.18 million at an average of $83.91 per share and reducing his ownership by 47.2%. Executive Vice President Ronald R. Reagan sold 10,826 shares on January 22 for $920,210 at an average of $85.00 per share, cutting his stake by 40.9%. These transactions leave insiders with a combined 0.20% ownership in the company.
4. Quarterly Earnings Performance
In its latest quarterly report, NextEra Energy delivered earnings per share of $0.54, exceeding consensus by $0.01, while revenue of $6.56 billion trailed forecasts by about $0.51 billion. Year-over-year revenue increased 20.7%, and the company reported a net margin near 24.9% with a return on equity of 12.2%. Management projects full-year EPS of approximately 3.68, supported by robust demand for renewable generation and regulated utility operations.