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Sixty thousand dollars a year is roughly what the median U.S. household spends after taxes, and it is the number many pre-retirees quietly aim to replace with investment income. Hitting it on a $900,000 nest egg requires a blended yield near 6.7%, which sits comfortably above the 4.6% 10-year Treasury and lightyears above the 1.7% national average on a 12-month CD.
The question is how to reach that yield without slowly liquidating the portfolio that produces it. Three tiers frame the tradeoffs.
Conservative Tier: 3% to 4% Yield At a 3.5% yield, $60,000 divided by 0.035 requires roughly $1,714,000 of capital. That is nearly double the $900,000 anchor, which is exactly the point: the safest income costs the most upfront.
This is the domain of dividend growth equities, broad-market dividend ETFs, regulated utilities, and blue-chip regional banks. Alliant Energy (NASDAQ:LNT | LNT Price Prediction) illustrates the profile, with a 2.8% yield backed by a $0.535 quarterly payout and a growth pipeline tied to 3.4 GW of contracted data center demand. East West Bancorp (NASDAQ:EWBC) raised its quarterly dividend from $0.60 to $0.80 at the start of 2026. Casey’s General Stores (NASDAQ:CASY) yields under 0.3% but has raised its dividend for 27 consecutive years.
You buy the least income and the most durability. Distributions grow, principal tends to compound, and the portfolio survives cuts.
Moderate Tier: 5% to 7% Yield At 6%, $60,000 divided by 0.06 requires $1,000,000. At the portfolio’s implied 6.7% blend, $900,000 does the job exactly. At 7%, the requirement drops to roughly $857,000.
This tier is populated by energy MLPs, equity REITs, preferred shares, covered call equity funds, and high-dividend value ETFs. Plains All American Pipeline (NASDAQ:PAA) is a working example, distributing $0.4175 per unit quarterly for an annualized $1.67, a 6.6% yield on units near $24.67. Plains raised its 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance midpoint by $130 million to $2.88 billion, giving the distribution a real coverage cushion.
The tradeoff: distribution growth slows, some covered call strategies cap upside, and MLPs bring K-1 tax filings.
Aggressive Tier: 8% to 14% Yield At 10%, $60,000 divided by 0.10 requires only $600,000. At 12%, the number drops to $500,000. On paper, the aggressive tier looks cheap.
The math hides real risk. Mortgage REITs, business development companies, leveraged covered call funds, and high-yield bond funds live here. AGNC Investment (NASDAQ:AGNC) pays $0.12 monthly for a 13.4% current yield, but its tangible book value has drifted downward over years even as monthly checks arrived on schedule. The 31% one-year price gain reflects a rate-cycle rebound rather than durable growth.
The core risk is principal erosion. High current income often coexists with a shrinking asset base.
The Compounding Point Most Yield Charts Hide A 3.5% yield growing 8% annually doubles income in about nine years. A 12% yield that stays flat, or drifts lower, does not. Casey’s is the visual: shares are $857 today after a 588% ten-year gain, with the quarterly dividend climbing from pennies to $0.65. The aggressive-tier mREIT delivered 87% over the same ten years, all of it from distributions, with the share price ending near where meaningful growers begin.
A semiconductor grower with a 0.7% yield attached to a growing business can outrun a static high payout on total-return math.
Three Actions to Take This Week Reprice the target. Pull last year’s actual spending, not gross salary. Many households replacing a $60,000 income only need to fund $45,000 to $50,000 after taxes and payroll deductions disappear. Run a ten-year total-return comparison between a 3.5% dividend growth vehicle and a 10% high-yield fund. Include reinvested distributions. The gap almost always favors the grower once compounding runs. Model the tax bill by tier. Plains generates a K-1, the mREIT pays ordinary-income dividends, and qualified dividends from Alliant, East West, and Casey’s typically get preferential rates. In a 3.8% Fed Funds environment, the after-tax spread between tiers is wider than the headline yields suggest. $900,000 can pay $60,000 without touching principal. Whether it keeps doing so in 2036 depends on which tier you lean on now.
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Alliant Energy (LNT - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 30. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis electric and gas utility parent company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.66 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -2.9%.
Revenues are expected to be $1 billion, up 4.3% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Alliant Energy?For Alliant Energy, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -2.54%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Alliant Energy will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Alliant Energy would post earnings of $0.82 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.82, delivering no surprise.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates two times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Alliant Energy doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Expected Results of an Industry PlayerAnother stock from the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, NorthWestern (NWE - Free Report) , is soon expected to post earnings of $0.42 per share for the quarter ended June 2026. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +5%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $386.22 million, up 12.7% from the year-ago quarter.
Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for NorthWestern has been revised 6.4% up to the current level. Nevertheless, the company now has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%, reflecting an equal Most Accurate Estimate.
When combined with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), this Earnings ESP makes it difficult to conclusively predict that NorthWestern will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
California Public Employees Retirement System decreased its holdings in shares of Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:LNT – Free Report) by 32.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 436,395 shares of the company’s stock after selling 207,817 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System owned about 0.17% of Alliant Energy worth $31,316,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Glenmede Investment Management LP lifted its stake in shares of Alliant Energy by 0.7% during the third quarter. Glenmede Investment Management LP now owns 22,793 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,536,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Alliant Energy by 1.8% in the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 9,117 shares of the company’s stock valued at $615,000 after buying an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Alliant Energy by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,517 shares of the company’s stock valued at $229,000 after buying an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Alliant Energy by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 3,216 shares of the company’s stock valued at $209,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the period. Finally, Resonant Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in Alliant Energy by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,182 shares of the company’s stock worth $300,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. 79.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth LNT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Scotiabank restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $74.00 price target (up from $72.00) on shares of Alliant Energy in a report on Monday, May 4th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $83.00 target price (up from $81.00) on shares of Alliant Energy in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Mizuho set a $76.00 target price on shares of Alliant Energy in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $76.00 price target on shares of Alliant Energy in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Alliant Energy from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Alliant Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $77.36.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Alliant Energy
Alliant Energy Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ LNT opened at $73.11 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48. Alliant Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $63.28 and a fifty-two week high of $78.81. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $74.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $71.42. The firm has a market cap of $18.88 billion, a PE ratio of 22.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.55.
Alliant Energy (NASDAQ:LNT – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $0.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.82. The company had revenue of $1.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.08 billion. Alliant Energy had a return on equity of 11.37% and a net margin of 18.58%.Alliant Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.83 EPS. Alliant Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.360-3.460 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Alliant Energy Corporation will post 3.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Alliant Energy Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.535 per share. This represents a $2.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. Alliant Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 67.08%.
Alliant Energy Company Profile (Free Report)
Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) is a publicly traded energy holding company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, that provides regulated electric and natural gas utility services in the American Midwest. The company serves customers primarily in Wisconsin and Iowa through its regulated utility subsidiaries and operates as an integrated provider responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of energy to residential, commercial and industrial customers.
Alliant Energy’s core activities include operating and maintaining electric generation assets, managing the regional transmission and distribution network, and delivering natural gas service to its franchise territories.
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MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) Board of Directors yesterday declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.5350 per share payable on August 17, 2026, to shareowners of record as of the close of business on July 31, 2026. Dividends on common stock have been paid for 323 consecutive quarters since 1946. Alliant Energy Corporation is recognized as a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index. Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) provides regula.
Key Takeaways Alliant Energy plans $13.4B of 2026-2029 investments to support 5%-7% annual earnings growth. Five service agreements cover 3.4 GW of data-center demand as peak electricity use is set to rise 60%. New wind and battery projects reduce fossil-fuel reliance while improving grid reliability and flexibility. Alliant Energy (LNT - Free Report) benefits from strategic renewable energy investments, strengthening grid reliability and supporting rising clean electricity demand from AI-driven data centers. These investments expand its regulated asset base, create long-term earnings opportunities and position the company to meet future customer demand while maintaining affordable service.
The company plans to invest $13.4 billion between 2026 and 2029 to expand renewable generation, battery storage, grid infrastructure and other energy assets, supporting long-term annual earnings growth of 5-7%. LNT secured approval for the 150-megawatt (MW) Bent Tree North Wind Project in Wisconsin, which will further reduce reliance on fossil fuels. On Jan. 13, 2026, LNT placed two battery energy storage systems into service, enhancing grid reliability and improving system flexibility.
Renewable projects are also helping LNT serve rapidly growing demand from data centers. The company has signed five electric service agreements representing 3.4 gigawatts (GW) of contracted demand and secured the required wind, natural gas and energy storage resources to serve this load. It expects peak electricity demand to rise about 60%, supporting future capital investments and earnings growth.
Overall, Alliant Energy's renewable expansion strengthens its long-term growth by supporting rising electricity demand, improving grid reliability and increasing regulated investment opportunities. These initiatives position the company for sustainable earnings growth while delivering cleaner, more reliable and affordable power.
Clean Energy Expansion Drives DecarbonizationThe expansion of clean energy reduces fossil fuel dependence and lowers carbon emissions. Renewable investments support rising electricity demand while advancing long-term decarbonization goals.
Clearway Energy (CWEN - Free Report) expands its clean energy portfolio with the 320-MW Honeycomb battery storage project, strengthening contracted cash flows and supporting rising electricity demand.
NextEra Energy (NEE - Free Report) continues to expand its renewable generation and battery storage portfolio, which includes the 200-MW Century Oaks Energy Storage project, supporting rising electricity demand, grid reliability and long-term regulated earnings. The company expects to add 76.6.5-107.6 GW of new renewables to its generation portfolio during 2026-2032 via clean energy investments.
LNT’s Earnings EstimatesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 EPS indicates a year-over-year increase of 6.52% and 7.29%, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
LNT’s Returns on Equity (ROE)Alliant Energy's trailing-12-month ROE is 11.37%, ahead of the industry average of 11.21%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
LNT’s Stock Price PerformanceIn the past month, the company’s shares have risen 4.2% compared with the industry’s 2.1% growth.
Since my previous "Buy" rating, Alliant Energy has handily outperformed the S&P 500 index. Thanks to significant economic development in its service territories, the electric and gas utility's four-year capital spending plan is much larger than it was when I last covered it. Alliant Energy enjoys a BBB+ S&P credit rating with a stable outlook.
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Stock Market Mixed As Chips Rise While Small Caps, Dow, SpaceX Struggle; Ned Davis On Cash For investors seeking a mix of growth, income and capital preservation, Alliant Energy (LNT) is a strong stock to consider, with shares currently trading in a buy zone. Headquartered in Madison, Wis., Alliant Energy provides electricity and natural gas to roughly 1.4 million customers in Wisconsin and Iowa. Data center expansion across the Midwest has driven outsize growth for Alliant…
MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) has scheduled its second quarter earnings release for Thursday, July 30th, after market close. A conference call to review the second quarter results is scheduled for Friday, July 31st at 9 a.m. CT.
Alliant Energy will webcast the event live at www.alliantenergy.com/investors. The call is open to the public and will be hosted by Lisa Barton, President and CEO; and Robert Durian, Executive Vice President and CFO. Individuals who would like to participate in the conference call can do so by dialing (833) 461-5787 (Toll Free – North America) or (585) 542-9983 (US Local). The conference ID is 703 542 170.
An archive of the webcast will be available on the company’s website at www.alliantenergy.com/investors.
Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) provides regulated energy service to approximately 1,010,000 electric and 435,000 natural gas customers across Iowa and Wisconsin. Alliant Energy's mission is to deliver energy solutions and exceptional service customers and communities count on – safely, efficiently and responsibly. Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL) are Alliant Energy's two public energy companies. Alliant Energy is a component of the S&P 500. For more information, visit alliantenergy.com and follow Alliant Energy on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Shares of Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:LNT – Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $75.4444.
LNT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Alliant Energy in a report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays raised Alliant Energy from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $65.00 to $67.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen lowered Alliant Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, March 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on Alliant Energy in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $82.00 price target for the company. Finally, HSBC raised Alliant Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st.
View Our Latest Analysis on Alliant Energy
Institutional Trading of Alliant Energy Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Alliant Energy by 103.8% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 66,701 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,292,000 after buying an additional 33,978 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in Alliant Energy by 98.7% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,084,562 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,792,000 after acquiring an additional 538,603 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Alliant Energy by 18.8% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 6,166 shares of the company’s stock worth $397,000 after acquiring an additional 974 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP grew its stake in Alliant Energy by 40.7% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 21,679 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,395,000 after acquiring an additional 6,269 shares during the period. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Alliant Energy by 23.5% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,256 shares of the company’s stock worth $81,000 after acquiring an additional 239 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.90% of the company’s stock.
Alliant Energy Stock Up 1.4% Shares of NASDAQ LNT opened at $71.49 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.66. Alliant Energy has a 52 week low of $57.09 and a 52 week high of $73.41. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $69.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $67.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49.
Alliant Energy (NASDAQ:LNT – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 20th. The company reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.02. Alliant Energy had a net margin of 18.57% and a return on equity of 11.51%. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $673.11 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.70 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Alliant Energy will post 3.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Alliant Energy Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $0.535 per share. This is an increase from Alliant Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. This represents a $2.14 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Alliant Energy’s payout ratio is 67.94%.
About Alliant Energy (Get Free Report)
Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) is a publicly traded energy holding company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, that provides regulated electric and natural gas utility services in the American Midwest. The company serves customers primarily in Wisconsin and Iowa through its regulated utility subsidiaries and operates as an integrated provider responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of energy to residential, commercial and industrial customers.
Alliant Energy’s core activities include operating and maintaining electric generation assets, managing the regional transmission and distribution network, and delivering natural gas service to its franchise territories.
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MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) has scheduled its first quarter earnings release for Thursday, April 30th, after market close. A conference call to review the first quarter results is scheduled for Friday, May 1st at 9 a.m. CT.
Alliant Energy will webcast the event live at www.alliantenergy.com/investors. The call is open to the public and will be hosted by Lisa Barton, President and CEO; and Robert Durian, Executive Vice President and CFO. Individuals who would like to participate in the conference call can do so by dialing (800) 715-9871 (Toll Free – North America) or (646) 307-1963 (International). The conference ID is 9124041.
An archive of the webcast will be available on the company’s website at www.alliantenergy.com/investors.
Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) provides regulated energy service to approximately 1,010,000 electric and 435,000 natural gas customers across Iowa and Wisconsin. Alliant Energy's mission is to deliver energy solutions and exceptional service customers and communities count on – safely, efficiently and responsibly. Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL) are Alliant Energy's two public energy companies. Alliant Energy is a component of the S&P 500. For more information, visit alliantenergy.com and follow Alliant Energy on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Key Takeaways Alliant Energy gains from customer growth and data center demand, supporting steady earnings expansion. LNT signed 3 GW data center deals and targets 5-7% annual earnings growth with strong supply chain support. Alliant Energy plans $13.4B investment to expand renewables, storage, and infrastructure for long-term growth. Alliant Energy (LNT - Free Report) benefits from customer growth, a rise in data center demand and strong supply-chain management, supporting its steady earnings growth. Its strategic capital investment improves operational reliability, expands renewable assets and supports long-term growth.
This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company faces risks from a rise in transmission costs and regulatory challenges, which may negatively affect its profitability.
LNT’s TailwindsAlliant Energy benefits from an expanding customer base, driven by economic development in its service territory. This creates fresh demand for utility services, improving overall operational and financial performance. Rising demand from LNT’s diverse customer mix ensures long-term earnings stability.
LNT is aided by increasing electricity load growth from data centers. The company signed 3 gigawatts data center contract and long-term service agreements with high-quality customers, boosting its financial performance.
Alliant Energy has a strong supply chain with no disruption, which helps in effective cost control and supports consistent revenue growth. LNT targets 5-7% annual earnings growth and projects earnings per share to exceed 7% annually during the 2027-2029 period.
Alliant Energy's strategic capital investment in renewable expansion and infrastructure development strengthens service reliability, supports cleaner energy generation and drives long-term growth. The company plans $13.4 billion in capital investment during 2026-2029, supporting 12% rate-based growth. Through systematic investment, the company aims to add 1,000 MW of Energy Storage and 1,300 MW of new renewables in the portfolio to meet the rising demand in its service territories.
LNT’s HeadwindsAlliant Energy’s unit, Interstate Power and Light Company and Wisconsin Power and Light Company, depend on interstate electric transmission systems that are not owned or controlled by it and rates charged are regulated by FERC. Any rise in transmission costs or underperformance by third parties may adversely affect the company’s operational performance and pressure margin.
LNT operations are governed by extensive environmental regulations at both the federal and state levels. Any non-compliance with laws may adversely impact its operation and affect financial performance.
Price Performance of LNTIn the past three months, Alliant Energy's shares have rallied 14.0% compared with the industry’s 12.1% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks in the same industry are CMS Energy (CMS - Free Report) , DTE Energy (DTE - Free Report) and Duke Energy (DUK - Free Report) . All stocks currently carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
CMS, DTE and DUK have dividend yields of 2.89%, 3.13% and 3.24%, respectively, which are better than the Zacks S&P 500 composite’s yield of 1.41%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CMS Energy, DTE Energy and Duke Energy’s 2026 EPS are pegged at $3.86, $7.72 and $6.71, indicating year-over-year growth of 6.93%, 4.89% and 6.34%, respectively.
Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC reduced its stake in Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:LNT – Free Report) by 18.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 44,250 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,906 shares during the quarter. Alpha Omega Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Alliant Energy were worth $2,877,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LNT. Magellan Asset Management Ltd raised its holdings in Alliant Energy by 802.8% in the 3rd quarter. Magellan Asset Management Ltd now owns 1,553,695 shares of the company’s stock valued at $104,735,000 after acquiring an additional 1,381,593 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in Alliant Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $82,265,000. Reaves W H & Co. Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Alliant Energy by 54.3% during the third quarter. Reaves W H & Co. Inc. now owns 1,779,087 shares of the company’s stock worth $119,928,000 after purchasing an additional 626,410 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Alliant Energy by 98.7% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,084,562 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,792,000 after purchasing an additional 538,603 shares during the period. Finally, Liberty One Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Alliant Energy by 91.7% during the third quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 984,790 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,389,000 after purchasing an additional 470,967 shares during the period. 79.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Alliant Energy Stock Performance NASDAQ LNT opened at $73.72 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.61. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $70.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $68.09. Alliant Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $58.67 and a 1 year high of $74.40.
Alliant Energy (NASDAQ:LNT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 20th. The company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $673.11 million. Alliant Energy had a net margin of 18.57% and a return on equity of 11.51%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.70 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Alliant Energy Corporation will post 3.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Alliant Energy Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th were given a $0.535 dividend. This is an increase from Alliant Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 30th. Alliant Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 67.94%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Alliant Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, March 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Alliant Energy in a report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group set a $75.00 target price on shares of Alliant Energy and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Alliant Energy in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $82.00 target price on the stock. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $78.00 target price (up from $72.00) on shares of Alliant Energy in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $75.44.
Read Our Latest Analysis on LNT
Trending Headlines about Alliant Energy Here are the key news stories impacting Alliant Energy this week:
Positive Sentiment: Growth and investment tailwinds — Zacks highlights customer growth, stronger data‑center demand and a $13.4 billion investment program that should drive stable regulated revenue and long‑term earnings growth. Alliant Energy Benefits From Expanding Customer Base and Investment Positive Sentiment: Selective analyst raises — Zacks lifted estimates for Q3 2027 and Q4 2026, signaling confidence in certain mid‑to‑late‑cycle quarters even as other near‑term estimates were trimmed. Alliant Energy analyst note Neutral Sentiment: Consensus full‑year view mostly unchanged — despite quarter‑by‑quarter revisions, the consensus FY estimate sits near $3.23, implying the market is treating cuts as modest timing shifts rather than a large structural downgrade. Alliant Energy analyst note Negative Sentiment: Near‑term EPS downgrades — Zacks trimmed several near‑term forecasts (examples: Q2 2026 to $0.72, Q1 2027 to $0.88, Q2 2027 to $0.78 and slightly cut FY2026 to $3.40), which can pressure short‑term sentiment and raise concern about upcoming quarter prints. Alliant Energy analyst revisions Negative Sentiment: Cost and regulatory headwinds — Zacks flags rising transmission costs and regulatory risk that could compress margins or delay recovery, a meaningful risk for a regulated‑utility stock dependent on rate cases and capex recovery. Alliant Energy Benefits From Expanding Customer Base and Investment Alliant Energy Profile (Free Report)
Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) is a publicly traded energy holding company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, that provides regulated electric and natural gas utility services in the American Midwest. The company serves customers primarily in Wisconsin and Iowa through its regulated utility subsidiaries and operates as an integrated provider responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of energy to residential, commercial and industrial customers.
Alliant Energy’s core activities include operating and maintaining electric generation assets, managing the regional transmission and distribution network, and delivering natural gas service to its franchise territories.
Read More Five stocks we like better than Alliant Energy Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LNT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:LNT – Free Report).
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Carnegie Investment Counsel trimmed its holdings in shares of Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:LNT – Free Report) by 1.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 613,708 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,113 shares during the period. Carnegie Investment Counsel owned about 0.24% of Alliant Energy worth $39,897,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LNT. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new position in Alliant Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. MRP Capital Investments LLC bought a new position in Alliant Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in Alliant Energy by 256.7% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 560 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 403 shares in the last quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Alliant Energy by 5,709.1% during the 2nd quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC now owns 639 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 628 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new position in Alliant Energy during the 2nd quarter worth about $40,000. 79.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have recently weighed in on LNT. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Alliant Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, March 1st. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $75.00 price target on shares of Alliant Energy in a report on Sunday, February 22nd. UBS Group set a $75.00 price target on shares of Alliant Energy and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Alliant Energy in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $82.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Alliant Energy from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Alliant Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $75.44.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on LNT
Alliant Energy Stock Down 0.8% NASDAQ:LNT opened at $73.10 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.21, a P/E/G ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.80. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $70.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.15. Alliant Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $58.67 and a fifty-two week high of $74.40.
Alliant Energy (NASDAQ:LNT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 20th. The company reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $673.11 million. Alliant Energy had a net margin of 18.57% and a return on equity of 11.51%. Alliant Energy’s revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.70 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Alliant Energy Corporation will post 3.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Alliant Energy Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th were given a $0.535 dividend. This represents a $2.14 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 30th. This is an increase from Alliant Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. Alliant Energy’s payout ratio is 67.94%.
Alliant Energy Company Profile (Free Report)
Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) is a publicly traded energy holding company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, that provides regulated electric and natural gas utility services in the American Midwest. The company serves customers primarily in Wisconsin and Iowa through its regulated utility subsidiaries and operates as an integrated provider responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of energy to residential, commercial and industrial customers.
Alliant Energy’s core activities include operating and maintaining electric generation assets, managing the regional transmission and distribution network, and delivering natural gas service to its franchise territories.
Read More Five stocks we like better than Alliant Energy Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LNT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:LNT – Free Report).
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MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) Board of Directors yesterday declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.5350 per share payable on May 15, 2026, to shareowners of record as of the close of business on April 30, 2026.
Dividends on common stock have been paid for 322 consecutive quarters since 1946.
Alliant Energy Corporation is recognized as a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index.
Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) provides regulated energy service to approximately 1,010,000 electric and 435,000 natural gas customers across Iowa and Wisconsin. Alliant Energy's mission is to deliver energy solutions and exceptional service customers and communities count on – safely, efficiently and responsibly. Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL) are Alliant Energy's two public energy companies. Alliant Energy is a component of the S&P 500. For more information, visit alliantenergy.com and follow Alliant Energy on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Wall Street expects flat earnings compared to the year-ago quarter on higher revenues when Alliant Energy (LNT - Free Report) reports results for the quarter ended March 2026. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on April 30. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis electric and gas utility parent company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.83 per share in its upcoming report, which represents no change from the year-ago quarter.
Revenues are expected to be $1.17 billion, up 3.9% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 4.2% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction).
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Alliant Energy?For Alliant Energy, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +1.21%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.
So, this combination indicates that Alliant Energy will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Alliant Energy would post earnings of $0.58 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.60, delivering a surprise of +3.45%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Alliant Energy appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Expected Results of an Industry PlayerAnother stock from the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, CMS Energy (CMS - Free Report) , is soon expected to post earnings of $1.11 per share for the quarter ended March 2026. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +8.8%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $2.51 billion, up 2.6% from the year-ago quarter.
Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for CMS Energy has been revised 3.4% up to the current level. Nevertheless, the company now has an Earnings ESP of -0.75%, reflecting a lower Most Accurate Estimate.
This Earnings ESP, combined with its Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), makes it difficult to conclusively predict that CMS Energy will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Key Takeaways Alliant Energy and Evergy benefit from rising demand, data centers, and renewable investments. EVRG projects EPS of $4.26 in 2026 and $4.54 in 2027 with long-term growth at 9.07%. LNT shows stronger ROE at 11.51% and plans $13.4B investment for infrastructure and clean energy. Companies operating in the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry are engaged in generating and delivering electricity to millions of consumers across the United States. These utilities, supported by their regulated structure, can earn predictable returns, while rising customer demand boosts earnings.
They reward shareholders with consistent dividends and planned share buybacks, making them a dependable defensive investment option. Utilities are in the path of energy transition and are fast shifting toward cleaner energy sources to reduce emissions.
Electricity demand in the United States is rising, driven by higher residential consumption, industrial reshoring and increasing data center demand. Industries operating in this sector are making strategic investments for renewable expansion, grid modernization and strengthening distribution networks to maintain service reliability.
Amid the rising importance of electricity generation and distribution companies, let us compare Alliant Energy Corporation (LNT - Free Report) and Evergy, Inc. (EVRG - Free Report) . These two regulated electric utilities benefit from an expanding customer base, a rise in data center demand, systematic investment in infrastructure development and renewable expansion.
Alliant Energy stands out with its regulated structure that operates through four wholly owned subsidiaries, efficiently serving electric and natural gas customers. The company is aided by an expanding customer base, an increase in data center demand and strong supply chain management, supporting its steady earnings growth. Alliant Energy invests systematically to expand renewable assets and infrastructure development, which enhances operational efficiency and strengthens financial performance.
Evergy, with its regulated framework operating through subsidiaries, serves more than 1.7 million customers in Kansas and Missouri. The company, combined with its subsidiaries, has 15,800 megawatts (MWs) of its own generating assets. EVRG benefits from operational expansion through strategic joint ventures and acquisitions, as well as increasing data center demand. Its strategic investment supports renewable expansion and infrastructure development, improving service reliability and supporting long-term growth.
Alliant Energy and Evergy are among the leading utilities. Examining their fundamentals side by side can reveal which stock presents the most attractive investment opportunity.
EVRG & LNT's Earnings EstimatesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for EVRG’s earnings per share is pegged at $4.26 in 2026 and $4.54 in 2027, suggesting year-over-year growth of 11.23% and 6.67%, respectively. EVRG’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth is currently pinned at 9.07%.
EVRG Estimate Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LNT’s earnings per share is pegged at $3.43 in 2026 and $3.70 in 2027, suggesting year-over-year growth of 6.52% and 7.78%, respectively. LNT’s long-term earnings growth is currently pinned at 7.15%.
LNT Estimate Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Debt to CapitalThe Zacks Utilities sector is a capital-intensive sector, and companies often borrow funds to run their business efficiently, maintain service reliability and support growing demand. These utilities combine internally generated cash flows with borrowed funds from capital markets to finance long-term investments, ensuring steady growth.
Evergy’s debt-to-capital currently stands at 59.69% compared with Alliant Energy’s 62.29% and the industry’s 61.04%. Both companies are using debt to fund their business, with LNT higher than EVRG, indicating greater reliance on borrowed funds.
Return on EquityReturn on Equity (“ROE”) reflects how efficiently a company utilizes shareholders’ funds to generate returns. It plays a vital role in evaluating management efficiency and overall financial performance, highlighting how efficiently resources are used to generate sustainable growth.
Alliant Energy’s current ROE is 11.51%, outperforming Evergy, which reports a lower ROE of 8.79% compared with the industry’s 10.82%. LNT utilizes shareholders’ capital more efficiently and generates higher profits.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
LNT & EVRG’s Dividend YieldDividends are regular payments distributed by a utility company to reward its shareholders, offering a commitment to delivering consistent returns on invested capital. It reflects the company’s earnings stability and strong cash flow.
Currently, the dividend yield for Evergy is 3.49%, while that for Alliant Energy is 3.02%. The dividend yields of both companies are higher than the S&P 500’s yield of 1.40%.
Capital Investment PlansUtilities’ operations are capital-intensive, often requiring huge funds for infrastructure development, enhancing system reliability and maintaining the existing assets. Electric utilities engaged in power generation and distribution are continuously investing in renewable expansion, energy storage, replacement of outdated equipment and grid modernization. These investments ensure reliability and help avoid outages even during extreme weather conditions.
Alliant Energy plans to invest $13.4 billion during 2026-2029 to upgrade infrastructure, support cleaner energy generation and drive 12% rate-based growth. Evergy aims to invest $21.6 billion during 2026-2030, including more than $3 billion for new generation capacity to meet rising customer demand, driving 11.5% rate base growth and 6-8% EPS growth.
Price PerformanceAlliant Energy’s shares have gained 8.0% over the past three months compared with Evergy’s rise of 6.2%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Summing UpAlliant Energy and Evergy both gain from expanding customer base, rising data center demand and heavy investment in infrastructure to reliably serve millions across the United States.
LNT, supported by stable earnings per share growth, stronger ROE and better price performance, appears to be a more attractive choice in the utility sector.
Based on the above discussion, Alliant Energy currently has an edge over Evergy, though both presently carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Key Takeaways Estimates for LNT's revenues are $1.17B, implying a 3.9% year-over-year increase.LNT's strategic electric distribution investments may have improved reliability and customer experience.Rising data center demand and cost management may help, though higher financing costs could temper gains. Alliant Energy Corporation (LNT - Free Report) is scheduled to release first-quarter 2026 results on April 30, after market close. The company delivered an earnings surprise of 3.45% in the last reported quarter.
Let’s discuss the factors that are likely to be reflected in the upcoming quarterly results.
Factors Likely to Have Influenced LNT’s Q1 EarningsAlliant Energy’s strategic investments in electric distribution, focused on advancing electrification and distributed generation, are likely to have improved service reliability, enhanced customer experience and supported its bottom-line performance in the to-be-reported quarter.
Customers in Alliant Energy’s service territories benefit from electric rates that are below the national average, making its services more appealing to new customers. Alliant Energy continues to add new customers to its existing base. The increase in demand from new customers is expected to have favorably impacted the company’s revenue performance in the quarter to be reported.
The company’s first-quarter earnings are expected to have benefited from solid economic development, rising demand from data centers and its continued focus on cost management.
However, higher financing costs are likely to have tempered some of the positives in the to-be-reported quarter.
Q1 Expectations for LNTThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pinned at $1.17 billion, implying a year-over-year rise of 3.9%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 82 cents per share, indicating a year-over-year decrease of 1.2%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for total electricity delivered is pegged at 8,299.71 megawatt-hours (MWh), up 0.5% year over year.
What Our Quantitative Model Predicts for LNTOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Alliant Energy this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here, as you will see below.
Stocks to ConsiderInvestors may consider the following players from the same industry, as these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this reporting cycle.
DTE Energy Company (DTE - Free Report) is slated to report its first-quarter 2026 results on April 30, before market open. It has an Earnings ESP of +1.71% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.
DTE’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 5.94%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.90 per share.
IDACORP, Inc. (IDA - Free Report) is scheduled to report its first-quarter 2026 results on April 30, before market open. It has an Earnings ESP of +2.28% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.
IDA’s long-term earnings growth rate is 7.85%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings stands at $1.10 per share.
American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP - Free Report) is scheduled to report its first-quarter 2026 results on May 5, before market open. It has an Earnings ESP of +0.77% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.
AEP’s long-term earnings growth rate is 6.72%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings stands at $1.53 per share.
Key Takeaways CMS Q1 2026 EPS rose to $1.13, topping the $1.11 estimate; GAAP EPS was $1.10.CMS revenues climbed to $2.73B, beating $2.53B estimate; operating expenses rose 14.7% Y/Y.CMS cash fell to $175M as debt rose to $18.54B; operating cash flow was $0.71B. CMS Energy Corporation (CMS - Free Report) reported first-quarter 2026 earnings per share (EPS) of $1.13, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.11 by 1.8%. The bottom line also increased 10.8% from $1.02 in the prior-year quarter.
The company reported GAAP earnings of $1.10 per share, up from $1.01 recorded in the year-ago quarter.
CMS' RevenuesOperating revenues totaled $2.73 billion, which topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.53 billion by 8.1%. The top line also increased 11.6% from $2.45 billion in the prior-year quarter.
Operational Performance of CMSCMS' operating expenses amounted to $2.24 billion, up 14.7% from the year-ago quarter’s figure.
Operating income was $490 million, lower than the year-ago quarter’s figure of $494 million.
Interest charges totaled $203 million, up 9.1% from that recorded in the year-ago quarter.
Financial Condition of CMSCMS Energy had cash and cash equivalents of $175 million as of March 31, 2026 compared with $509 million as of Dec. 31, 2025.
As of March 31, 2026, total debt and financial leases (excluding securitization debt) were $18.54 billion compared with $18.31 billion as of Dec. 31, 2025.
The net cash flow from operating activities was $0.71 billion during the first three months of 2026 compared with $1 billion in the prior-year period.
CMS' 2026 GuidanceThe company reaffirmed its 2026 adjusted earnings guidance of $3.83-$3.90 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings is currently pegged at $3.87, higher than the midpoint of the company’s guided range.
CMS also reaffirmed its long-term adjusted EPS growth in the band of 6-8%.
CMS’ Zacks RankCMS Energy currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Upcoming Utility ReleasesDTE Energy Company (DTE - Free Report) is scheduled to report its first-quarter 2026 results on April 30, before market open. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.90 per share.
DTE’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 5.94%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter sales is pinned at $4.67 billion, which implies a year-over-year rise of 5.1%.
Alliant Energy Corporation (LNT - Free Report) is slated to report first-quarter results on April 30, after market close. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 82 cents per share.
LNT’s long-term earnings growth rate is 7.15%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter sales is pinned at $1.17 billion, which calls for year-over-year growth of 3.9%.
Public Service Enterprise Group (PEG - Free Report) is slated to report first-quarter results on May 5, before market open. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.49 per share, which suggests a year-over-year increase of 4.2%.
PEG’s long-term earnings growth rate is 6.09%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter sales stands at $3.29 billion, which implies a year-over-year rise of 2.1%.
MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) today announced U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) consolidated unaudited earnings per share (EPS) of $0.87 for first quarter 2026, compared to $0.83 for the first quarter of 2025. Ongoing EPS for first quarter 2026 was $0.82, compared to $0.83 for the first quarter of 2025.
Alliant Energy reaffirmed its consolidated ongoing EPS guidance for 2026 of $3.36 - $3.46, continuing its over a decade strong track record of compound annual earnings growth of more than 6%.
“We are off to a strong start in 2026, delivering approximately 25% of our ongoing earnings guidance midpoint, and reaffirming our full-year ongoing EPS outlook,” said Lisa Barton, Alliant Energy President and CEO. “Our results reflect disciplined execution and continued momentum in data center growth, including the signing of a new electric service agreement in Iowa for approximately 370 megawatts of contracted demand. With five executed agreements, we are translating customer demand into well-structured, long-term growth that benefits investors, existing customers and communities.”
Alliant Energy Consolidated EPS:
GAAP EPS
Non-GAAP EPS
2026
2025
2026
2025
Three months ended March 31
$0.87
$0.83
$0.82
$0.83
In 2026, the primary drivers of Alliant Energy’s results were higher revenue requirements from increasing rate base at IPL and WPL of $0.05 and $0.10 per share, respectively, including investments in generation and energy storage, non-GAAP adjustments in 2026, and higher allowance for funds used during construction. These items were offset by higher financing and depreciation expense related to capital investments, as well as other operating and maintenance expense primarily due to increased electric distribution and generation costs from planned maintenance activities and the addition of new energy resources.
Retail electric and gas sales decreased an estimated $0.04 and $0.03 per share in 2026 and 2025, respectively, due to impacts of temperatures on customer demand.
Alliant Energy’s Non-GAAP, or ongoing, EPS for 2026 excludes $0.05 per share benefit related to the remeasurement of deferred tax assets, reflecting a remeasurement of estimated state income tax apportionment. In the third quarter of 2025, WPL entered into an electric service agreement with a customer who expected to build a data center in WPL’s service territory. In the first quarter of 2026, the customer selected an alternative data center location in IPL’s service territory, and as a result, the electric service agreement with WPL was terminated and subsequently renegotiated and executed with IPL. This non-GAAP adjustment is presented to supplement GAAP results and highlight financial measures not typically associated with ongoing operations.
2026 Earnings Guidance
Alliant Energy is reaffirming its consolidated ongoing EPS guidance for 2026 of $3.36 - $3.46 per diluted share. Assumptions for Alliant Energy’s 2026 EPS guidance include, but are not limited to:
Ability of IPL and WPL to earn their authorized rates of return Normal temperatures in its utility service territories Stable economy and resulting implications on utility sales Execution of capital expenditure plans, including achievement of targeted in-service dates Execution of cost controls and financing plans Consolidated effective tax rate of (29%) The 2026 earnings guidance does not include the impacts of any material non-cash valuation adjustments, regulatory-related charges or credits, reorganizations or restructurings, future changes in laws, regulations or regulatory policies, adjustments made to deferred tax assets and liabilities from changes in forecasted state income tax apportionment and valuation allowances including further corporate tax rate changes in Iowa, changes in credit loss liabilities related to guarantees, pending lawsuits and disputes, settlement charges related to pension and other postretirement benefits plans, federal and state income tax audits and other Internal Revenue Service proceedings, impacts from changes to the authorized return on equity for ATC LLC, or changes in GAAP and tax methods of accounting that may impact the reported results of Alliant Energy.
Earnings Conference Call
A conference call to review the 2026 results is scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2026 at 9 a.m. central time. Alliant Energy President and Chief Executive Officer Lisa Barton, and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Robert Durian will host the call. The conference call is open to the public and can be accessed in two ways. Interested parties may listen to the call by dialing 800-715-9871 (Toll-Free) or 646-307-1963 (International), conference ID 9124041. Interested parties may also listen to a webcast at www.alliantenergy.com/investors. In conjunction with the information in this earnings announcement and the conference call, Alliant Energy posted supplemental materials on its website. An archive of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website at www.alliantenergy.com/investors for 12 months.
About Alliant Energy Corporation
Alliant Energy is the parent company of two public utility companies - Interstate Power and Light Company and Wisconsin Power and Light Company - and of Alliant Energy Finance, LLC, the parent company of Alliant Energy’s non-utility operations. Alliant Energy, whose core purpose is to serve customers and build stronger communities, is an energy-services provider with utility subsidiaries serving approximately 1,010,000 electric and 435,000 natural gas customers. Providing its customers in the Midwest with regulated electricity and natural gas service is the Company’s primary focus. Alliant Energy, headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, is a component of the S&P 500 and is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol LNT. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.alliantenergy.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “forecast,” “expect,” “guidance,” or other words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe future financial performance or plans or strategies are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such statements. Actual results could be materially affected by the following factors, among others:
IPL’s and WPL’s ability to obtain adequate and timely rate relief to allow for, among other things, recovery of and/or the return on costs, including fuel costs, operating costs, transmission costs, capacity costs, costs of cancelled generation projects incurred prior to pursuing regulatory approval, as well as costs of generation projects incurred prior to regulatory approval or that exceed initial estimates, deferred expenditures, deferred tax assets, tax expense, interest expense, capital expenditures, marginal costs to service new customers, and remaining costs related to electric generating units (EGUs) that have been or may be permanently closed and certain other retired assets, environmental remediation costs, and decreases in sales volumes, as well as earning their authorized rates of return, payments to their parent of expected levels of dividends, the impact of rate design on current and potential customers and demand for energy in their service territories, and the ability to obtain regulatory approval with acceptable conditions for individual customer rates for large load growth customers; the impact of IPL’s retail electric base rate moratorium; the ability to obtain regulatory approval for construction projects with acceptable conditions; the ability to complete construction of generation and energy storage projects by planned in-service dates, with the expected earnings contributions and within the cost targets set by regulators due to cost increases of and access to materials, equipment and commodities, which could result from tariffs, including previously exempted tariffs related to solar project materials and equipment from certain countries, duties or other assessments, including antidumping or countervailing duties, inflation, labor issues or supply shortages, supply chain disruptions which may result from geopolitical issues, contractor performance, the ability to successfully resolve warranty issues or contract disputes, the ability to obtain adequate generator interconnection agreements to connect the new projects to Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (MISO) in a timely manner, the ability to obtain siting and environmental permits from local and state agencies and the ability of ITC Midwest LLC (ITC) and American Transmission Company LLC (ATC) to complete transmission upgrades in a timely manner; weather effects on utility sales volumes and operations; the direct or indirect effects resulting from cybersecurity incidents or attacks on Alliant Energy, IPL, WPL, or their suppliers, contractors and partners, or responses to such incidents; the impact of customer- and third party-owned generation and other non-traditional service models, including alternative electric suppliers and potential policy changes, regulatory changes, or legislation that may enable large customers to source behind-the-meter generation directly from third parties or to own or otherwise procure on-site or behind-the-meter generation or participate in co-located resource arrangements, in IPL’s and WPL’s service territories on system reliability, operating expenses and customers’ demand for electricity; economic conditions in IPL’s and WPL’s service territories, including the potential impacts of business or facility closures and tariffs; the ability and cost to attract large load growth customers and to provide sufficient generation and the ability of ITC and ATC to provide sufficient transmission capacity for potential load growth timely, including significant new commercial or industrial customers, such as data centers; the ability of potential large load growth customers to timely construct new facilities, due to local or state regulatory actions, zoning, siting, or permitting actions, public or community opposition or other factors, as well as the resulting higher system load demand by expected levels and timeframes; the impact of large load growth customers altering, delaying or cancelling planned facilities, including any resulting impacts of overbuilt or under-utilized transmission capacity or generation and energy storage assets; the impact of energy efficiency, franchise retention and customer disconnects on sales volumes and operating income; the impact that price changes may have on IPL’s and WPL’s customers’ demand for electric and gas services and their ability to pay their bills; changes in the price of delivered natural gas, transmission, purchased electric energy, purchased electric capacity and delivered coal, particularly during elevated market prices, and any resulting changes to counterparty credit risk, due to shifts in supply and demand caused by market conditions, regulations and MISO’s seasonal resource adequacy process; the ability to achieve the expected level of tax benefits for renewable generation and energy storage projects based on tax guidelines, timely beginning of construction and in-service dates, sourcing permissible amounts of construction and/or financing support from entities with ties to certain foreign countries, compliance with prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements, project costs and the level of electricity output generated by qualifying generating facilities, and the ability to efficiently utilize the renewable generation and energy storage project tax benefits to achieve IPL’s authorized rate of return and for the benefit of IPL’s and WPL’s customers; federal and state regulatory or governmental actions, including the impact of legislation, Treasury regulations, executive orders, interpretations and guidance, and changes in public policy, including changes impacting renewable tax credits, including any repeal, modification, or reduced funding of the Inflation Reduction Act and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and siting generation and energy storage projects; the ability to utilize tax credits generated to date, and those that may be generated in the future, before they expire, as well as the ability to transfer tax credits that may be generated in the future at adequate pricing; the impacts of changes in the tax code, including tax rates, minimum tax rates, adjustments made to deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in state income tax apportionment, and changes impacting the availability of and ability to transfer renewable tax credits, including preserving the qualification of any future tax credits; disruptions to ongoing operations and the supply of materials, services, equipment and commodities needed to continue to operate and maintain existing assets and to construct capital projects, which may result from geopolitical issues, tariffs, supplier manufacturing constraints, regulatory requirements, labor issues or transportation issues, and thus affect the ability to meet capacity requirements and result in increased capacity expense; inflation and higher interest rates; continued access to the capital markets on competitive terms and rates, and risks associated with potential increases in borrowing costs or reduced access to funding, and the actions of credit rating agencies; the future development of technologies related to electrification, and the ability to reliably store and manage electricity; employee workforce factors, including the ability to hire and retain employees with specialized skills, impacts from employee retirements, changes in key executives, ability to create desired corporate culture, collective bargaining agreements and negotiations, work stoppages or restructurings; disruptions in the supply and delivery of natural gas, purchased electricity and coal; changes to the creditworthiness of, or performance of obligations by, counterparties with which Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL have contractual arrangements, including large load growth customers, participants in the energy markets and fuel suppliers and transporters; the impact of penalties or third-party claims related to, or in connection with, a failure to maintain the security of personally identifiable information, including associated costs to notify affected persons and to mitigate their information security concerns; impacts that terrorist attacks may have on Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s operations and recovery of costs associated with restoration activities, or on the operations of Alliant Energy’s investments; changes to MISO’s interconnection or resource adequacy process establishing capacity planning reserve margin and capacity accreditation requirements that may impact how and when new and existing generating and energy storage facilities may be accredited with energy capacity, and may require IPL and WPL to adjust their current resource plans, to add resources to meet the requirements of MISO’s process or to procure capacity in the market whereby such costs might not be recovered in rates; any legislative or regulatory changes that impose mandatory integrated resource planning requirements or materially modify existing planning processes, potentially affecting resource selection, cost recovery, and the ability to meet large load growth demand for energy; any material post-closing payments related to any past asset divestitures, including the transfer of renewable tax credits, which could result from, among other things, indemnification agreements, warranties, guarantees or litigation; issues associated with environmental remediation and environmental compliance, including compliance with all current environmental and emissions laws, regulations, siting requirements, and permits and future changes in environmental laws and regulations, including the Coal Combustion Residuals Rule, Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and federal, state or local regulations for emissions reductions, including greenhouse gases, from new and existing fossil-fueled EGUs under the Clean Air Act, and litigation associated with environmental requirements; increased pressure from customers, investors and other stakeholders to more rapidly reduce greenhouse gases emissions; the timely development of technologies, innovations and advancements to provide cost effective alternatives to traditional energy sources; the ability to defend against environmental claims brought by state and federal agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state natural resources agencies, or third parties, such as the Sierra Club, and the impact on operating expenses of defending and resolving such claims; the direct or indirect effects resulting from breakdown or failure of equipment in the operation of electric and gas distribution systems, such as mechanical problems, disruptions in telecommunications, technological problems, and explosions or fires, and compliance with electric and gas transmission and distribution safety regulations, including regulations promulgated by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; issues related to the availability and operations of EGUs and energy storage facilities, including start-up risks, breakdown or failure of equipment, fires, availability of warranty coverage and successful resolution of warranty issues or contract disputes for equipment breakdowns or failures, performance below expected or contracted levels of output or efficiency, operator error, employee safety, transmission constraints, compliance with mandatory reliability standards and risks related to recovery of resulting incremental operating, capacity, fuel-related and capital costs through rates; impacts that excessive heat, excessive cold, storms, wildfires, or natural disasters may have on Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s operations and construction activities, and recovery of costs associated with restoration activities, or on the operations of Alliant Energy’s investments; Alliant Energy’s ability to sustain its dividend payout ratio goal; changes to costs of providing benefits and related funding requirements of pension and other postretirement benefits plans due to the market value of the assets that fund the plans, economic conditions, financial market performance, interest rates, timing and form of benefits payments, life expectancies and demographics; material changes in employee-related benefit and compensation costs, including settlement losses related to pension plans; risks associated with operation and ownership of non-utility holdings, including potential impairments; changes in technology that alter the channels through which customers buy or utilize Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s or WPL’s products and services; risks associated with third-party risk management practices, including vendor financial condition, operational performance, cybersecurity incidents, and compliance with contractual and regulatory requirements; risks associated with large-scale internal technology modernization initiatives, including enterprise asset management systems, operational technology/informational technology integration, cloud transformation, and digital modernization, and the potential for delays, cost overruns, or operational impacts; impacts on equity income from unconsolidated investments from changes in valuations of the assets held, as well as potential changes to ATC’s authorized return on equity; impacts of IPL’s future tax benefits from Iowa rate-making practices, including deductions for repairs expenditures and cost of removal obligations, allocation of mixed service costs and state depreciation, and recoverability of the associated regulatory assets from customers, when the differences reverse in future periods; current or future litigation, regulatory investigations, proceedings or inquiries; reputational damage from negative publicity, protests, fines, penalties and other negative consequences resulting in regulatory and/or legal actions; the direct or indirect effects resulting from pandemics; the effect of accounting standards issued periodically by standard-setting bodies; the ability to successfully complete tax audits and changes in tax accounting methods with no material impact on earnings and cash flows; and other factors listed in the “2026 Earnings Guidance” section of this press release. For more information about potential factors that could affect Alliant Energy’s business and financial results, refer to Alliant Energy’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the section therein titled “Risk Factors,” and its other filings with the SEC.
Without limitation, the expectations with respect to 2026 earnings guidance in this press release are forward-looking statements and are based in part on certain assumptions made by Alliant Energy, some of which are referred to in the forward-looking statements. Alliant Energy cannot provide any assurance that the assumptions referred to in the forward-looking statements or otherwise are accurate or will prove to be correct. Any assumptions that are inaccurate or do not prove to be correct could have a material adverse effect on Alliant Energy’s ability to achieve the estimates or other targets included in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included herein are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, Alliant Energy undertakes no obligation to update publicly such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To provide investors with additional information regarding Alliant Energy’s financial results, this press release includes reference to certain non-GAAP financial measures. These measures include income and EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2026 excluding the state income tax apportionment benefit at the Parent. Alliant Energy believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they provide an alternate measure to better understand and compare across periods the operating performance of Alliant Energy without the distortion of items that management believes are not normally associated with ongoing operations, and also provides additional information about Alliant Energy’s operations on a basis consistent with the measures that management uses to manage its operations and evaluate its performance. Alliant Energy’s management also uses income, as adjusted, to determine performance-based compensation.
In addition, Alliant Energy included in this press release IPL; WPL; Corporate Services; Utilities and Corporate Services; ATC Holdings; and Non-utility and Parent EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025. Alliant Energy believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they facilitate an understanding of segment performance and trends, and provide additional information about Alliant Energy’s operations on a basis consistent with the measures that management uses to manage its operations and evaluate its performance.
Reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the earnings summaries that follow.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all “per share” references in this release refer to earnings per diluted share.
ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION
EARNINGS SUMMARY (Unaudited)
The following tables provide a summary of Alliant Energy’s results for the three months ended March 31:
EPS:
GAAP EPS
Adjustments
Non-GAAP EPS
2026
2025
2026
2025
2026
2025
IPL
$0.36
$0.43
$—
$—
$0.36
$0.43
WPL
0.45
0.43
—
—
0.45
0.43
Corporate Services
0.02
0.01
—
—
0.02
0.01
Subtotal for Utilities and Corporate Services
0.83
0.87
—
—
0.83
0.87
ATC Holdings
0.04
0.04
—
—
0.04
0.04
Non-utility and Parent
—
(0.08)
(0.05)
—
(0.05)
(0.08)
Alliant Energy Consolidated
$0.87
$0.83
($0.05)
$—
$0.82
$0.83
Earnings (in millions):
GAAP Income (Loss)
Adjustments
Non-GAAP Income (Loss)
2026
2025
2026
2025
2026
2025
IPL
$94
$110
$—
$—
$94
$110
WPL
117
110
—
—
117
110
Corporate Services
4
5
—
—
4
5
Subtotal for Utilities and Corporate Services
215
225
—
—
215
225
ATC Holdings
11
10
—
—
11
10
Non-utility and Parent
(2)
(22)
(12)
—
(14)
(22)
Alliant Energy Consolidated
$224
$213
($12)
$—
$212
$213
Adjusted, or non-GAAP, earnings for the three months ended March 31 do not include the following item that was included in the reported GAAP earnings:
Non-GAAP Income
Non-GAAP
Adjustments (in millions)
EPS Adjustments
2026
2025
2026
2025
Non-utility and Parent:
State income tax apportionment benefit
($12)
$—
($0.05)
$—
Total Alliant Energy Consolidated
($12)
$—
($0.05)
$—
ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited)
Three Months Ended March 31,
2026
2025
(in millions, except per share amounts)
Revenues:
Electric utility
$888
$853
Gas utility
271
240
Other utility
2
13
Non-utility
23
22
Total revenues
1,184
1,128
Operating expenses:
Electric production fuel and purchased power
168
175
Electric transmission service
159
158
Cost of gas sold
173
137
Other operation and maintenance:
Energy efficiency costs
18
10
Non-utility Travero
16
16
Other
146
134
Depreciation and amortization
223
211
Taxes other than income taxes
32
30
Total operating expenses
935
871
Operating income
249
257
Other (income) and deductions:
Interest expense
142
119
Equity income from unconsolidated investments, net
(22)
(13)
Allowance for funds used during construction
(30)
(18)
Other
(4)
3
Total other (income) and deductions
86
91
Income before income taxes
163
166
Income tax benefit
(61)
(47)
Net income attributable to Alliant Energy common shareowners
$224
$213
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic
257.4
256.8
Diluted
258.8
257.2
Earnings per weighted average common share attributable to Alliant Energy common shareowners (basic and diluted)
$0.87
$0.83
ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)
March 31,
2026
December 31,
2025
(in millions)
ASSETS:
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
$115
$556
Other current assets
1,109
1,141
Property, plant and equipment, net
20,589
20,344
Investments
724
694
Other assets
2,276
2,256
Total assets
$24,813
$24,991
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY:
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt
$—
$1,074
Commercial paper
433
88
Other short-term borrowings
400
—
Other current liabilities
945
961
Long-term debt, net (excluding current portion)
11,007
10,954
Other liabilities
4,606
4,580
Alliant Energy Corporation common equity
7,422
7,334
Total liabilities and equity
$24,813
$24,991
ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)
Three Months Ended March 31,
2026
2025
(in millions)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Cash flows from operating activities excluding accounts receivable sold to a third party
$475
$365
Accounts receivable sold to a third party
(107)
(116)
Net cash flows from operating activities
368
249
Cash flows used for investing activities:
Construction and acquisition expenditures:
Utility business
(342)
(554)
Other
(72)
(28)
Cash receipts on sold receivables
25
192
Other
(4)
(14)
Net cash flows used for investing activities
(393)
(404)
Cash flows from (used for) financing activities:
Common stock dividends
(137)
(130)
Proceeds from issuance of other short-term borrowings
400
—
Payments to retire long-term debt
(1,075)
—
Net change in commercial paper
395
220
Other
1
9
Net cash flows from (used for) financing activities
(416)
99
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
(441)
(56)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period
556
81
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period
$115
$25
KEY FINANCIAL AND OPERATING STATISTICS
March 31, 2026
March 31, 2025
Common shares outstanding (000s)
258,277
256,876
Book value per share
$28.74
$27.61
Quarterly common dividend rate per share
$0.535
$0.5075
Three Months Ended March 31,
2026
2025
Utility electric sales (000s of megawatt-hours)
Residential
1,835
1,871
Commercial
1,602
1,599
Industrial
2,542
2,519
Industrial - co-generation customers
158
185
Retail subtotal
6,137
6,174
Sales for resale:
Wholesale
511
691
Bulk power and other
1,626
1,378
Other
13
14
Total
8,287
8,257
Utility retail electric customers (at March 31)
Residential
862,149
856,212
Commercial
146,914
146,333
Industrial
2,371
2,363
Total
1,011,434
1,004,908
Utility gas sold and transported (000s of dekatherms)
Residential
13,172
14,039
Commercial
8,475
8,965
Industrial
839
818
Retail subtotal
22,486
23,822
Transportation / other
32,813
31,006
Total
55,299
54,828
Utility retail gas customers (at March 31)
Residential
388,590
386,261
Commercial
45,529
45,326
Industrial
314
316
Total
434,433
431,903
Estimated operating income decreases from impacts of temperatures (in millions) -
Alliant Energy (LNT - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.82 per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate . This compares to earnings of $0.83 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +0.40%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this electric and gas utility parent company would post earnings of $0.58 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.6, delivering a surprise of +3.45%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.
Alliant Energy, which belongs to the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry, posted revenues of $1.18 billion for the quarter ended March 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.99%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.13 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Alliant Energy shares have added about 10.8% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 4.2%.
What's Next for Alliant Energy?While Alliant Energy has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Alliant Energy was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.69 on $1 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $3.43 on $4.51 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Utility - Electric Power is currently in the top 37% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Another stock from the same industry, Algonquin Power & Utilities (AQN - Free Report) , has yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026. The results are expected to be released on May 8.
This utility operator is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.11 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -21.4%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 10.5% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.
Algonquin Power & Utilities' revenues are expected to be $697.9 million, up 0.8% from the year-ago quarter.
GAAP Earnings: $0.87 per share for Q1 2026.Ongoing Earnings: $0.82 per share for Q1 2026.Revenue Drivers: Higher revenue requirements and AFUDC from capital in
NEW YORK, May 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces an investigation into Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE:PLNT) for potential securities fraud after its significant stock drop.
If you invested in Planet Fitness, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/planet-fitness-class-action-lawsuit.
Key Details of the Planet Fitness ($PLNT) Class Action Investigation:
Investigation Overview: Securities fraud regarding Planet Fitness’s failed marketing campaign that alienated the company’s core market and led to disappointing membership growth during the key Q1 sign-up period.Stock Decline: May 7, 2026 – 31% Stock DropAction: Contact BFA Law to discuss your rights Why is Planet Fitness Being Investigated for Securities Fraud?
Planet Fitness is a large franchisor and operator of fitness centers across the United States. The company aims to offer a fitness experience in a non-intimidating environment, which it calls the Judgement Free Zone.
BFA is investigating whether Planet Fitness made false and misleading statements to investors regarding the purported success of its marketing campaign to focus on “fitness-minded” members.
Why did Planet Fitness’s Stock Drop?
On May 7, 2026, Planet Fitness released its Q1 2026 financial results. The company announced disappointing membership growth and cut 2026 revenue growth guidance from approximately 9% to about 7% and adjusted EBITDA growth guidance from roughly 10% to approximately 6%. During the same-day earnings call, the company stated that its marketing “may have pivoted too far” as the company “shift[ed] from [its] lighthearted approachable tone” to one that “increased penetration with the fitness-minded.”
This news caused the price of Planet Fitness stock to decline $19.95 per share, or 31%, from a closing price of $63.96 per share on May 6, 2026, to $44.01 per share on May 7, 2026.
Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/planet-fitness-class-action-lawsuit.
What Can You Do?
If you invested in Planet Fitness, you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm.
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Key Takeaways LNT and AEE rides on rising electricity use tied to data centers, electrification trends and housing demand. AEE EPS estimate $5.36 (2026) and $5.77 (2027), implying year-over-year growth of 6.56% and 7.63%.LNT leads on ROE (11.37%) and yield (2.94%), with 20.5% 1-year gains vs 13.9% for AEE. Companies operating in the Zacks Utility - Electric Power industry generate, transmit and distribute electricity to millions of customers across the United States. The industry's regulated business model, along with growing electricity demand, provides stable and predictable earnings. These utilities reward investors through reliable dividend payments and periodic share repurchase programs, making them a dependable defensive investment option. The utility sector is undergoing a significant energy transition and is rapidly shifting toward cleaner energy sources to reduce emissions.
Electricity consumption across the United States continues to grow, driven by rising data center demand, electrification trends and growing residential usage. Companies operating in this sector are making systematic investments in renewable energy projects, grid modernization and distribution system enhancements to maintain service reliability.
Amid the rising importance of electricity generation and distribution companies, let us compare Alliant Energy Corporation (LNT - Free Report) and Ameren Corporation (AEE - Free Report) . These two regulated electric utilities are benefiting from rising electricity demand driven by data center growth, systematic investment in infrastructure development and renewable expansion.
Alliant Energy and Ameren are well-established utilities with strong positions in the sector. Examining their fundamentals side by side can reveal which stock presents the most attractive investment opportunity.
AEE & LNT’s Earnings Growth ProjectionsThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for AEE’s earnings per share (EPS) is pegged at $5.36 in 2026 and $5.77 in 2027, suggesting year-over-year growth of 6.56% and 7.63%, respectively. AEE’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth is currently pinned at 9.27%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LNT’s EPS is pegged at $3.43 in 2026 and $3.68 in 2027, suggesting year-over-year growth of 6.52% and 7.29%, respectively. LNT’s long-term earnings growth is currently pinned at 7.15%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AEE & LNT’s Return on EquityReturn on Equity (“ROE”) measures how effectively a company uses shareholders’ funds to generate profit, with a higher ROE indicating stronger operational efficiency and value creation. ROE is an important indicator of management effectiveness and financial strength, reflecting a company's ability to generate growth from its available resources.
Alliant Energy’s current ROE is 11.37%, higher than Ameren's 10.94% and the industry’s average of 11.09%. LNT utilizes shareholders’ capital more efficiently and generates a higher return.
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AEE & LNT’s Dividend YieldUtility companies reward shareholders through regular dividend payments, reflecting their commitment to providing steady returns on invested capital. It highlights the company’s earnings stability and strong cash flow.
Currently, the dividend yield for LNT is 2.94%, while that for AEE 2.75%. The dividend yields of both companies are higher than the S&P 500’s yield of 1.45%.
AEE & LNT’s Capital Investment PlansUtilities require significant capital expenditure for infrastructure development, enhancing system reliability and maintaining their extensive asset base. Electric utilities engaged in power generation and distribution regularly invest in renewable expansion, energy storage, replacement of outdated equipment and grid modernization. These investments enhance reliability by reducing outages even during extreme weather conditions.
Ameren plans to invest $31.8 billion during 2026-2030 in infrastructure development, grid modernization and renewable energy expansion to enhance service reliability and ensure safe operations for customers. Alliant Energy aims to invest $13.4 billion during 2026-2029 for infrastructure upgradation, support cleaner energy generation and drive 12% rate-based growth.
AEE & LNT’s Price PerformanceAlliant Energy’s shares have gained 20.5% over the past year compared with Ameren’s rally of 13.9%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Overall AssessmentAlliant Energy and Ameren both benefit from rising electricity demand driven by economic growth within their service territories, increasing data center activity and substantial infrastructure investments aimed at reliably serving millions of customers across the United States.
However, our choice at the moment is LNT, given its strong ROE, higher dividend yield and better price performance than AEE. Both AEE and LNT carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
