After XEL’s 6.7% Climb in a Day, D Looks Like the Stronger Long-Term Play
Dominion Energy (D) offers superior revenue growth across key periods, better profitability, and relatively lower valuation vs Xcel Energy (XEL), suggesting you may be better off investing in D
- D’s quarterly revenue growth was 9.3%, vs. XEL’s 7.0%.
- In addition, its Last 12 Months revenue growth came in at 5.3%, ahead of XEL’s -0.6%.
- D leads on profitability over both periods – LTM margin of 29.7% and 3-year average of 27.0%.
XEL generates electricity and natural gas from diverse sources, serving 3.7 million electricity and 2.1 million gas customers across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors in eight U.S. states. D produces and distributes energy through electric generation and gas distribution across multiple regional segments, managing a portfolio of approximately 30.2 gigawatts of electric generating capacity.
Valuation & Performance Overview
| XEL | D | Preferred | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valuation | |||
| P/EBIT Ratio | 18.8 | 11.5 | D |
| Revenue Growth | |||
| Last Quarter | 7.0% | 9.3% | D |
| Last 12 Months | -0.6% | 5.3% | D |
| Last 3 Year Average | 0.7% | 7.5% | D |
| Operating Margins | |||
| Last 12 Months | 17.4% | 29.7% | D |
| Last 3 Year Average | 17.6% | 27.0% | D |
| Momentum | |||
| Last 3 Year Return | 20.7% | -8.9% | XEL |
Note: For “Last 3 Year Return” metric, preferred stock is one with higher returns unless the returns are too high (>300%) which creates risk of sell off.
See more revenue details: XEL Revenue Comparison | D Revenue Comparison
See more margin details: XEL Operating Income Comparison | D Operating Income Comparison
But do these numbers tell the full story? Read Buy or Sell D Stock to see if Dominion Energy’s edge holds up under the hood or if Xcel Energy still has cards to play (see Buy or Sell XEL Stock).
That is one way to look at stocks. Trefis High Quality Portfolio evaluates much more, and is designed to reduce stock-specific risk while giving upside exposure
Historical Market Performance
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total [1] | Avg | Best | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returns | |||||||||
| XEL Return | 8% | 4% | 6% | -9% | 12% | 12% | 36% | ||
| D Return | -5% | 8% | -19% | -19% | 20% | 17% | -7% | ||
| S&P 500 Return | 16% | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 13% | 106% | <=== | |
| Monthly Win Rates [3] | |||||||||
| XEL Win Rate | 50% | 50% | 75% | 58% | 58% | 38% | 55% | ||
| D Win Rate | 42% | 50% | 50% | 58% | 67% | 62% | 55% | ||
| S&P 500 Win Rate | 58% | 75% | 42% | 67% | 75% | 62% | 63% | <=== | |
| Max Drawdowns [4] | |||||||||
| XEL Max Drawdown | -21% | -13% | -13% | -20% | -22% | -5% | -15% | ||
| D Max Drawdown | -28% | -9% | -24% | -33% | -6% | -7% | -18% | ||
| S&P 500 Max Drawdown | -31% | -1% | -25% | -1% | -2% | -15% | -12% | <=== | |
[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] 2025 data is for the year up to 9/24/2025 (YTD)
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year