Here's Why Spire Stock Deserves a Spot in Your Portfolio Right Now

Spire, Inc. SR is focused on strategic investments to enhance operational reliability and better serve its customers. The company is leveraging new technologies to advance its operations, improve service quality and reduce costs. Given its strong growth and better debt management, the stock makes a strong case for investment in the Zacks Utility- Gas distribution industry space.Let us focus on the reasons that make this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock a strong investment pick at the moment.SR’s Growth OutlookThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings per share (EPS) implies an increase of 14.64% year over year to $5.09. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SR’s fiscal 2026 revenues is pegged at $2.52 billion, which indicates year-over-year growth of 1.85%.Spire projects its long-term earnings per share to improve in the range of 5-7% annually.  Our projection for SR’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 7.77%.SR’s Return to ShareholdersSpire has been increasing shareholder value by steadily paying dividends. Currently, the company’s quarterly dividend is 82.5 cents per share, resulting in an annualized dividend of $3.30. SR’s current dividend yield is 3.61%, better than the Zacks S&P 500 composite's average of 1.1%.SR’s Investments FocusSR expects its 10-year capital investment to be $11.2 billion. Of the planned investments for fiscal 2026 through fiscal 2035, 70% will be allocated to the safety and improvement of operational reliability, 19% will be used for customer expansion, and 11% will go toward other essential activities. These investments will enable the company to serve its customers more efficiently and meet rising demand from its expanding customer base.SR’s Debt StructureCurrently, SR’s total debt to capital is 53.23%, better than the sector’s average of 60.90%. This implies that the company is using lower debts to run operations compared with its peers in the sector.Spire’s times interest earned ratio (TIE) at the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 was 2.6. The TIE ratio, being greater than one, suggests that the company will be able to make its interest payment obligations in the near term without difficulty.SR Stock Price PerformanceOver the past year, SR’s shares have risen 27.6% compared with the industry’s growth of 8.3%. Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchOther Stocks to ConsiderA few other top-ranked stocks from the same sector are Atmos Energy ATO, Ameren AEE and American States Water AWR, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.ATO’s long-term earnings growth rate is 7.49%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 EPS is pegged at $8.01, which calls for year-over-year growth of 7.37%.AEE’s long-term earnings growth rate is 8.01%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS is pegged at $4.99, which implies a year-over-year rise of 7.78%.AWR’s long-term earnings growth rate is 5.65%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS is pegged at $3.32, which suggests year-over-year growth of 4.73%. Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge GainsQuantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power.Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>Want 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 Ameren Corporation (AEE): Free Stock Analysis Report Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO): Free Stock Analysis Report American States Water Company (AWR): Free Stock Analysis Report Spire Inc. (SR): 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