Meta description (SEO): NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE) stock is trading around $81 as of December 10, 2025, after an investor day packed with AI data‑center deals, higher 2025–2026 earnings guidance, and fresh Wall Street price targets. Here’s what investors need to know today.
Key takeaways for December 10, 2025
- NEE stock is trading around $81.24, up roughly 2% today, with a year‑to‑date gain of about 12% and a dividend yield near 2.8%. [1]
- NextEra just raised its 2025–2026 adjusted EPS guidance, now targeting $3.62–$3.70 for 2025 and $3.92–$4.02 for 2026, driven largely by AI data‑center power demand. [2]
- Massive AI and data‑center partnerships with Google Cloud and Meta could add 15–30 GW of new generation by 2035, including 2.5 GW of clean‑energy contracts with Meta and multi‑GW data‑center campuses with Google. [3]
- NextEra is expanding in natural gas and transmission, agreeing to acquire Symmetry Energy Solutions and partnering with Exelon and Basin Electric on new infrastructure to support data‑center hubs. [4]
- Wall Street remains broadly bullish: consensus 12‑month price targets cluster around $90–$92, implying low‑double‑digit upside from today’s price, with an overall “Overweight/Moderate Buy” rating. [5]
Quick reminder: Nothing here is personal financial advice. It’s news and analysis to help you do your own research.
NEE stock today: price, volume and recent performance
As of late trading on December 10, 2025, NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE) is changing hands at about $81.24 per share, up roughly $1.60, or about 2%, on the day. The stock has traded between $79.66 and $81.26 with volume around 5 million shares.
A fresh Barchart analysis notes that NEE is up about 12.4% year‑to‑date, with a market cap around $170 billion and a dividend yield of roughly 2.7–2.8%, cementing its status as a Dividend Aristocrat with more than 30 consecutive years of dividend increases. [6]
At today’s price, NEE trades at roughly 22x 2025 consensus EPS (~$3.68) and about 20x 2026 EPS (~$4.00), putting it at a premium to the average regulated utility but in line with its long‑term growth ambitions. [7]
Investor Day recap: higher 2025–2026 profit guidance and a “golden age” for power
At its December 8, 2025 investor conference in New York, NextEra reset the narrative around the stock. Management raised profit guidance and laid out what it calls a “golden age” for U.S. power demand, driven heavily by AI data centers and electrification. [8]
Updated EPS outlook
According to multiple reports and company commentary:
- 2025 adjusted EPS: now $3.62–$3.70 (midpoint ~3.66), up from a prior range of $3.45–$3.70.
- 2026 adjusted EPS: now $3.92–$4.02, raised from $3.63–$4.00.
- Long‑term growth: at least 8% annual adjusted EPS growth through 2035. [9]
This guidance builds on earlier expectations of 6–8% EPS growth through 2027 off the 2024 base, as shown in the company’s Q3 2025 investor materials. [10]
While some analysts noted that the 2026 midpoint (around $3.97) sits only slightly above prior expectations—one reason the stock dipped right after the event—the overarching message is that NextEra sees a multi‑decade runway of above‑sector growth. [11]
The “golden age” of power demand
In an article summarizing the investor day, Barron’s reports that NextEra now expects U.S. electricity usage to rise nearly 60% between 2025 and 2045, with over 40% of that growth coming from data centers—especially AI and cloud infrastructure. [12]
That forecast underpins the company’s push to:
- Build 15 GW of data‑center power hubs by 2035, with the potential to reach 30 GW if demand trends stay strong. [13]
- Pair renewables, nuclear, natural gas and large‑scale batteries to create “bring your own generation” (BYOG) solutions for hyperscalers—essentially custom power systems for big tech clients. [14]
For investors, this is the core of the bull case: NEE isn’t just a Florida utility; it’s a scaled developer of AI‑era power infrastructure.
AI and data center deals: Google, Meta, Exxon and Basin Electric
A huge portion of today’s NextEra Energy story is about powering AI and cloud data centers.
Google Cloud partnership
On December 8, NextEra and Google Cloud announced a significant expansion of their long‑standing collaboration:
- They will develop multiple new gigawatt‑scale data center campuses in the U.S., with paired generation and capacity (renewables, gas and storage).
- The partnership also includes an AI‑powered grid and field‑operations product set to launch on Google Cloud Marketplace around mid‑2026, using NextEra’s grid expertise and data. [15]
Analysts note that this could turn NextEra’s operational know‑how into a software and services revenue stream, not just kilowatt‑hours, improving margins over time. [16]
Meta clean‑energy contracts
On the same day, NextEra Energy Resources announced that it and Meta Platforms have now reached about 2.5 GW of clean‑energy contracts:
- 11 power purchase agreements (PPAs) and two energy‑storage agreements (ESAs).
- Spread across multiple U.S. states and projects, including 168 MW of battery storage for Public Service Company of New Mexico.
- Projects are scheduled to come online between 2026 and 2028, supporting Meta’s growing data‑center fleet. [17]
Specialized energy trade press has framed this as one of the largest single utility–hyperscaler renewables packages in the U.S. market to date, reinforcing NextEra’s status as a go‑to partner for big tech decarbonization. [18]
Basin Electric and Exxon: gas‑backed hubs
NextEra’s strategy isn’t pure wind and solar:
- With Basin Electric Power Cooperative, NextEra is exploring a 1.5‑GW combined‑cycle natural‑gas plant in North Dakota to support a planned multi‑GW data‑center campus, as part of the 15‑GW hub strategy. [19]
- The company is also working with Exxon Mobil on low‑carbon gas‑fired power projects that pair natural gas with carbon capture and storage to serve AI data‑center loads. [20]
Some ESG‑focused investors worry that this tilt toward gas could dilute NextEra’s “pure green” image, but management argues that firm, dispatchable capacity is essential to meet AI‑driven peak demand while still cutting emissions versus older fossil plants. [21]
Natural gas and transmission growth: Symmetry acquisition and Exelon project
Symmetry Energy Solutions acquisition
NextEra Energy Resources has agreed to acquire Symmetry Energy Solutions from Energy Capital Partners, in a deal expected to close in Q1 2026, pending regulatory approvals. [22]
Symmetry is a major natural gas marketer and supply business serving commercial and industrial customers across North America. The acquisition:
- Expands NextEra’s customer supply and hedging capabilities.
- Supports the company’s BYOG and data‑center strategy, giving it more control over fuel sourcing for combined renewables‑and‑gas portfolios. [23]
Exelon transmission partnership
In another Dec. 8 release, NextEra Energy Transmission and Exelon announced a plan to jointly develop a large transmission project across Pennsylvania and West Virginia:
- Intended to deliver “abundant, reliable power”, help stabilize prices and accommodate new industrial and data‑center loads. [24]
Transmission is arguably the biggest bottleneck for U.S. decarbonization and data‑center growth; by investing early, NextEra positions itself as a critical gatekeeper for future load growth corridors.
Q3 2025 earnings: solid beat, growing backlog
NextEra’s Q3 2025 results provide the financial backdrop for all this expansion:
- GAAP net income: about $1.28 billion (0.62 per share), up from $1.22 billion (0.59 per share) in Q3 2024. [25]
- Adjusted EPS:$1.13, beating the consensus estimate around $1.02, while revenue came in near $8.0 billion, up roughly 5–6% year‑over‑year but slightly below Street forecasts. [26]
- NextEra has now beaten quarterly EPS estimates for roughly two years in a row, according to Barchart’s review. [27]
Operationally, the company:
- Ended Q3 with roughly 76 GW of operating capacity across nuclear, gas, wind, solar and storage.
- Carried a signed development backlog of about 30 GW, adding ~3 GW of new renewables and storage in Q3 alone. [28]
On the balance sheet side, Barchart notes that NextEra finished the quarter with about $2.4 billion of cash vs. $4.7 billion of short‑term debt, but generated nearly $10 billion in operating cash flow over the first nine months of 2025—enough to help fund its large capex plans. [29]
Wall Street today: fresh price targets and consensus forecast
New ratings and price‑target moves on December 10
Several analyst updates have landed around the investor day and today’s session:
- BMO Capital lowered its price target to $89 from $90, maintaining an “Outperform” rating and framing the move as a valuation adjustment rather than a downgrade in fundamentals. [30]
- UBS trimmed its target slightly to around $94 (from prior $96) but reiterated a “Buy” rating, highlighting the improved long‑term growth outlook tied to AI‑era power demand. [31]
- Other brokers, including Scotiabank, BTIG and Goldman Sachs, have recently nudged their targets into the mid‑ to high‑$90s, while keeping bullish or “Sector Outperform” calls. [32]
Consensus targets and EPS forecasts
Across the Street:
- MarketBeat shows an average 12‑month price target near $91–$92, with individual targets ranging from about $77 to $100, implying low‑double‑digit upside from current levels. [33]
- MarketWatch reports an average target of ~$92.10 and an overall “Overweight” recommendation based on 26 analyst ratings. [34]
- Consensus EPS estimates (Yahoo/MarketBeat) cluster around $3.68 for 2025 and ~$4.00 for 2026, consistent with NextEra’s raised ranges and implying mid‑single‑digit to high‑single‑digit annual growth. [35]
A new Barchart piece today characterizes analyst sentiment as “Moderate Buy” with a mean target near $89–$90, again showing modest, but not explosive, upside from here. [36]
Institutional flows: who’s buying and selling NEE today?
Institutional news on December 10, 2025 underscores that large investors are actively repositioning:
- Stamos Capital Partners disclosed a new purchase of NEE shares, suggesting continued interest from active managers looking for growth‑plus‑income plays in utilities. [37]
- Meanwhile, Bank of Nova Scotia reported trimming its holdings in NextEra, even as the article notes that quarterly revenue rose about 5.3% year‑over‑year and that analysts still expect ~$3.68 in EPS for the full year 2025. [38]
These cross‑currents reflect a debate on valuation and risk, not a breakdown in the underlying thesis.
How does NEE compare in the utilities and AI‑power landscape?
NextEra remains the largest utility by market cap globally, ahead of Iberdrola and Constellation Energy, according to recent research. [39]
Sector‑wide, Charles Schwab notes that utilities with nuclear or clean‑energy exposure tied to data centers—including NextEra, Constellation, Vistra and others—have kept pace with or outperformed the S&P 500 this year, breaking the old pattern of utilities as sleepy “bond substitutes.” [40]
From a stock‑specific standpoint:
- A Simply Wall St valuation piece points out that NEE has rebounded about 20% over the past three months, bringing it closer to fair value, with further upside increasingly dependent on executing its AI/data‑center strategy. [41]
- Another analysis asks whether the stock’s recent rebound is justified by its fundamentals, concluding that valuation is not cheap but supported by long‑term growth prospects—especially if the AI power demand story plays out. [42]
In short, NEE is being treated less like a sleepy utility and more like an infrastructure growth stock—which is great when growth materializes, but painful when rates rise or sentiment turns.
Bull vs. bear: key arguments after December 10, 2025
The bull case
Supporters of NextEra Energy stock highlight:
- Structural demand tailwinds: AI data centers, electrification, EVs and onshoring of manufacturing could keep U.S. power demand rising for decades. [43]
- Scale and cost leadership: Investor materials show NextEra’s operating costs in nuclear, solar, wind and fossil plants are well below industry medians, giving it a durable competitive edge. [44]
- Massive development pipeline: Roughly 30 GW of signed backlog plus ongoing wins in renewables, storage and data‑center hubs. [45]
- Dividend growth + AI angle: A 30‑year dividend‑increase streak with management still targeting ~10% annual dividend growth through 2026, paired with multi‑GW AI contracts with Google and Meta. [46]
For long‑term investors, the bull view is that NEE is the premier way to play the AI‑driven power supercycle while still collecting a growing dividend.
The bear (or cautious) case
Skeptics and cautious investors flag several risks:
- Valuation premium: At ~20x forward earnings, NEE trades richer than many utilities; any disappointment on earnings growth or interest‑rate cuts could compress the multiple. [47]
- Interest‑rate sensitivity: As a capital‑intensive utility with huge planned capex, NextEra is sensitive to bond yields, which affect both financing costs and how investors value its future cash flows. [48]
- Execution and permitting risk: Building 15–30 GW of new capacity plus major transmission is no small task; delays, cost overruns or community opposition could pressure returns. [49]
- Gas and ESG backlash: The push into new gas‑fired plants and gas marketing (Symmetry) could draw criticism or regulatory hurdles from climate‑focused stakeholders. [50]
In other words, NEE now behaves more like a growth stock with utility cash flows than a classic bond‑proxy utility.
What to watch next
If you’re tracking NextEra Energy stock after today’s moves, key upcoming milestones include:
- Closing of the Symmetry Energy Solutions acquisition, expected in Q1 2026. [51]
- Regulatory progress and final investment decisions on Google, Meta and Basin Electric data‑center hubs. [52]
- Q4 2025 earnings, currently projected for January 23, 2026, where investors will look for updates on backlog, AI contracts and capex plans. [53]
- Macro backdrop: interest‑rate decisions, U.S. power‑market reforms and data‑center permitting rules, all of which can swing the valuation of NEE and its peers. [54]
Bottom line
As of December 10, 2025, NextEra Energy (NEE) sits at the crossroads of three big themes:
- AI and data‑center power demand
- Renewable and nuclear decarbonization
- Traditional utility cash‑flow stability and dividends
Today’s news flow—higher 2025–2026 profit guidance, big‑tech energy deals, and fresh analyst targets—reinforces the view that NEE is one of the most strategically positioned utilities for the AI era, albeit at a valuation that assumes management will deliver on its ambitious plans.
If you’re considering the stock, the homework now is to decide whether that growth‑at‑a‑premium trade‑off fits your risk tolerance, time horizon and portfolio mix.
References
1. www.barchart.com, 2. www.gurufocus.com, 3. www.investor.nexteraenergy.com, 4. www.investor.nexteraenergy.com, 5. www.marketbeat.com, 6. www.barchart.com, 7. finance.yahoo.com, 8. www.investor.nexteraenergy.com, 9. www.gurufocus.com, 10. www.investor.nexteraenergy.com, 11. www.barrons.com, 12. www.barrons.com, 13. www.barrons.com, 14. www.barrons.com, 15. www.investor.nexteraenergy.com, 16. simplywall.st, 17. www.investor.nexteraenergy.com, 18. www.energy-storage.news, 19. www.utilitydive.com, 20. www.barrons.com, 21. www.bloomberg.com, 22. www.investor.nexteraenergy.com, 23. seekingalpha.com, 24. www.investor.nexteraenergy.com, 25. www.investor.nexteraenergy.com, 26. www.investing.com, 27. www.barchart.com, 28. www.barchart.com, 29. www.barchart.com, 30. www.investing.com, 31. www.marketscreener.com, 32. www.marketscreener.com, 33. www.marketbeat.com, 34. www.marketwatch.com, 35. finance.yahoo.com, 36. www.barchart.com, 37. www.marketbeat.com, 38. www.marketbeat.com, 39. www.fool.com, 40. www.schwab.com, 41. simplywall.st, 42. finance.yahoo.com, 43. www.barrons.com, 44. www.stocktitan.net, 45. www.barchart.com, 46. seekingalpha.com, 47. simplywall.st, 48. www.schwab.com, 49. www.stocktitan.net, 50. www.investor.nexteraenergy.com, 51. www.investor.nexteraenergy.com, 52. www.investor.nexteraenergy.com, 53. www.tradingview.com, 54. www.schwab.com
