Pinnacle West Capital Corporation PNW reported first-quarter 2026 earnings of 27 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of three cents per share by a whopping 1000%. The bottom line improved substantially from a loss of four cents reported in the year-ago quarter.
Total Revenues of PNW
Sales for the quarter totaled $1.15 billion, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.08 billion by 6.48%. The top line increased 11.36% from $1.03 billion recorded in the year-ago quarter.
Pinnacle West Capital Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Pinnacle West Capital Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Pinnacle West Capital Corporation Quote
PNW’s Operational Highlights
Total operating expenses were $1.02 billion, up 4.45% year over year, due to higher fuel and purchased power, as well as other expenses.
Operating income totaled $131.2 million, up 129.2% from $57.2 million recorded in the year-ago quarter.
Total interest expenses were $125.8 million, up 19.84% from $104.9 million reported in the prior-year period.
PNW’s Financial Highlights
As of March 31, 2026, cash and cash equivalents totaled $6.41 million compared with $6.60 million as of Dec. 31, 2025.
As of March 31, 2026, long-term debt-less current maturities amounted to $9.80 billion compared with $9.21 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025.
Net cash flow provided by operating activities in the first quarter of 2026 totaled $235.3 million compared with $401.9 million in the year-ago period.
PNW’s Guidance
The company continues to expect its 2026 consolidated earnings in the range of $4.55-$4.75 per share and projects 5-7% long-term EPS growth from the 2024 earnings base. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is pegged at $4.70, higher than the midpoint of the company’s guided range.
The company projects its 2026 revenues in the range of $5.56-$5.66 billion.
During 2026, management projects its retail customers to increase 1.5-2.5%. Retail electricity sales growth of 4-6%, driven partly by new large manufacturing facilities and multiple large data centers, is expected to contribute 3-5% to sales growth.
Pinnacle West plans to invest $2.60 billion in 2026 and $7.95 billion in the 2026-2028 period to further strengthen its operations.
PNW’s Zacks Rank
Pinnacle West currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Upcoming Utility Releases
WEC Energy Group WEC is scheduled to report first-quarter results on May 5. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter EPS is pinned at $2.33, which implies a year-over-year increase of 2.64%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter sales is pinned at $3.21 billion, which suggests year-over-year growth of 1.91%.
NiSource NI is scheduled to report first-quarter results on May 6. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter EPS is pinned at $1.06, which implies a year-over-year increase of 8.16%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter sales is pinned at $2.43 billion, which suggests year-over-year growth of 12.01%.
PPL Corporation PPL is scheduled to report first-quarter results on May 8. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter EPS is pinned at 61 cents, which implies a year-over-year increase of 1.67%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter sales is pinned at $2.62 billion, which suggests year-over-year growth of 4.65%.
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.
Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
PPL Corporation (PPL): Free Stock Analysis Report
NiSource, Inc (NI): Free Stock Analysis Report
WEC Energy Group, Inc. (WEC): Free Stock Analysis Report
Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (PNW): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).