Here's Why IDACORP Stock Deserves a Spot in Your Portfolio Right Away

IDACORP Inc. IDA continues to benefit from its strategic investments and customer growth. The company’s cost management and focus on producing more electricity from clean sources also act as tailwinds. Given its growth opportunities, IDA makes for a solid investment option in the utility sector.Let’s explore the factors that make this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company a strong investment pick at the moment.IDA’s Growth Projections & Surprise HistoryThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings per share (EPS) has increased 0.3% to $5.83 in the past 60 days. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 sales is pinned at $1.85 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of 1.6%.IDA’s long-term earnings (three-to-five-year) growth rate is 8.13%. The company delivered an average earnings surprise of 3.9% for the trailing four quarters.IDA’s LiquidityIDACORP’s current ratio is 1.45, better than the industry’s average of 0.85. A current ratio of greater than one indicates that the company has enough short-term assets to liquidate to cover all short-term liabilities, if necessary.Debt Position of IDACurrently, the company’s total debt to capital is 50.29%, better than the industry’s average of 59.75%. The time-to-interest earned ratio at the end of the second quarter of 2025 was 2.7. The ratio, being greater than one, reflects the company’s ability to meet future interest obligations without difficulties.Dividend History of IDAThe company has been consistently increasing shareholders' value by paying regular dividends. Currently, its quarterly dividend is 86 cents per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $3.44. The current dividend yield is 2.76%, better than the Zacks S&P 500 composite’s 1.15%.IDA’s Systematic InvestmentsThe company invested $943 million in 2024 and now expects capital expenditure in the range of $1-$1.1 billion in 2025, $1.25-$1.35 billion in 2026 and $3.1-$3.6 billion during 2027-2029. The strong capital expenditure should further strengthen IDA’s infrastructure and expand its operations. It may also allow the company to serve a wider customer base.IDA’s Rising Customer BaseDuring the past 12 months, ended June 30, 2025, Idaho Power’s customer base improved 2.5% year over year. This trend is expected to continue as improvements in economic conditions in its service territories should bring in more customers. The rising customer base is creating more demand for its services and boosting performance.IDA’s Stock Price PerformanceIn the past three months, the company’s shares have risen 6.2% against the industry’s decline of 0.6%.   Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchOther Stocks to ConsiderA few other top-ranked stocks from the same industry are TransAlta TAC, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present, and National Grid Transco NGG and NiSource NI, both carrying a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TAC’s 2025 EPS is pinned at 8 cents, which implies a year-over-year decline of 81.4%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 sales is pinned at $2 billion, which implies a year-over-year decline of 4%.NGG’s long-term earnings growth rate is 8.42%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS is pinned at $5.25, suggesting year-over-year growth of 47.1%.NI’s long-term earnings growth rate is 7.88%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS is pinned at $1.88, which implies a year-over-year increase of 7.4%. See our %%CTA_TEXT%% report – free today!7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NiSource, Inc (NI): Free Stock Analysis Report IDACORP, Inc. (IDA): Free Stock Analysis Report National Grid Transco, PLC (NGG): Free Stock Analysis Report TransAlta Corporation (TAC): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks