Valued at a market cap of $36.4 billion, WEC Energy Group, Inc. (WEC) is one of the largest regulated utility holding companies in the United States. The Wisconsin-based company provides electric and natural gas services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers primarily across the Midwest.
Shares of WEC have lagged behind the broader market over the past 52 weeks. WEC has rallied 9.2% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has gained 27.3%. Moreover, on a YTD basis, the stock is up 5.9%, compared to SPX’s 9.6% gain.
Narrowing the focus, WEC has also underperformed the State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLU) 13.2% return over the past 52 weeks.
On May 5, WEC Energy reported solid first-quarter FY2026 results, supported by higher electricity demand, continued infrastructure investment, and growing power consumption from large commercial and industrial customers tied to AI-driven data center expansion. Consolidated revenue increased 9% year over year to $3.43 billion. Its EPS rose 7.9% from the year-ago quarter to $2.45. Looking ahead, the company reaffirmed its 2026 earnings guidance of $5.51 to $5.61 per share.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect WEC’s EPS to grow 6.1% year over year to $5.59. The company’s earnings surprise history is solid. It beat the Wall Street estimates in each of the last four quarters.
Among the 20 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a “Moderate Buy,” which is based on eight “Strong Buys,” 11 “Holds,” and one “Strong Sell” rating.
On May 14, JPMorgan analyst Jeremy Tonet reiterated a “Neutral” rating on WEC Energy while lowering the price target to $120 from $125.
The average price target of $124.92 indicates a premium of 11.9% from current market prices. The Street-high price target of $140 suggests an upside potential of 25.4%.
On the date of publication, Kritika Sarmah did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
More news from Barchart
