New York, January 28, 2026, 15:56 EST — Regular session
NextEra Energy shares edged up 0.3% to $87.44 during afternoon trading, having swung between $86.61 and $88.54 earlier. Trading volume reached roughly 5.7 million shares.
Investors are still favoring utilities showing clear growth, but they’re getting more selective. Data centers’ heavy load demand is shifting forecasts, even as interest rates continue to dictate the cost of capital-intensive operations.
NextEra climbed 2.0% Tuesday, closing at $87.15—just shy of its 52-week high of $87.53 hit on Oct. 28, according to MarketWatch data. The stock saw 15.1 million shares change hands, beating its 50-day average volume. It also outperformed peers like Southern Co, Dominion Energy, and American Electric Power.
NextEra reported Tuesday that adjusted earnings for 2025 climbed to $3.71 per share, an 8% jump from 2024, with GAAP net income reaching $6.835 billion. Florida Power & Light posted $958 million in Q4, while NextEra Energy Resources recorded $545 million in net income and boosted its project backlog by around 13.5 gigawatts, pushing it close to 30 GW. The company confirmed its 2026 adjusted EPS forecast between $3.92 and $4.02. CEO John Ketchum highlighted the “more than 8% increase in full-year adjusted earnings per share over 2024.” SEC
During Tuesday’s earnings call, NextEra executives revealed they are deep into talks to supply an extra 9 gigawatts of data-center power in Florida. The company also has about 20 gigawatts of prospective customers lined up, with nearly half in advanced negotiations targeting service by 2028. They hinted at possible announcements in 2026. For context, a gigawatt measures generating capacity. NextEra mentioned plans to add 6 gigawatts of new nuclear tech at existing sites and is exploring greenfield locations, following last year’s announcement to restart the Duane Arnold plant in Iowa for Google data centers. The company posted adjusted quarterly earnings of 54 cents per share, just above the 53-cent analyst consensus. The Energy Information Administration projects U.S. power demand will hit new highs in 2026.
Mizuho lifted its price target on NextEra to $90 from $88 but maintained a Neutral rating following the earnings report. The firm highlighted strong results from Florida Power & Light, which were partly balanced by softer showings at NextEra Energy Resources and increased losses at the parent company.
The Federal Reserve held its policy rate steady at 3.50%-3.75% on Wednesday, prompting Treasury yields to climb. The 10-year yield edged up to about 4.26%, while the 2-year yield hovered near 3.59%.
The upside depends on turning data-center talks into firm contracts and handling the capital outlay tied to new generation. Any delays in project schedules, rising financing expenses, or weaker-than-anticipated data-center demand could weigh on the shares.
NextEra investors are on alert for any firm deal news linked to the Florida data-center pipeline, along with clues that the nuclear option shifts from speculation to official filings. On the broader front, rates-sensitive stocks will key in on the January U.S. jobs report, set for release Feb. 6 at 8:30 a.m. ET.
