Reasons to Include National Grid Stock in Your Portfolio Right Now

National Grid NGG stands to benefit from its strategic investment in infrastructure upgrades and expansion. Rising demand from new customer connections makes NGG an appealing investment opportunity in the Zacks Utility Electric Power industry.Let us focus on the factors that make this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company a strong investment pick at the moment.NGG’s Earnings Growth ProjectionThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for NGG’s fiscal 2026 earnings per share (EPS) has increased 6.3% to $5.25 in the past 60 days.The company’s (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 8.4%.NGG’s SolvencyNational Grid’s times interest earned ratio (TIE) at the end of fiscal 2025 was 3. The strong TIE ratio indicates that the company will be able to meet its interest payment obligations in the near term without any problems.Dividend Yield of National GridNGG has been consistently increasing shareholder value by paying dividends. The company's current dividend yield is 5.77%, up from the S&P 500 Composite's 1.15%.NGG’s Smart Investments and Customer DemandNational Grid has plans to invest nearly $69 billion (£60 billion) across its service territory in the United Kingdom and the United States over the next five years.The company will benefit from increased demand resulting from new customer connections in its service zone. In total, 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of customer projects were connected to the transmission network this year, with 1.6 GW being renewables.NGG’s Push for a Clean Energy FutureThe company is enabling the energy transition for all and intends to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. National Grid is working together with its partners to speed up the transition to a clean energy future. In the United States, NGG has made considerable investments in large-scale renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar.NGG Stock Price PerformanceIn the past six months, NGG shares have risen 16.1% compared with the industry’s growth of 11.1%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchOther Stocks to ConsiderA few other top-ranked stocks related to the same industry are IDACORP, Inc. IDA, Fortis FTS and NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc. NWE, each holding a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.IDA’s long-term earnings growth rate is 8.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS is pegged at $5.83, which indicates a year-over-year improvement of 6%.  FTS’ long-term earnings growth rate is 5.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS stands at $2.50, which suggests a year-over-year rise of 4.6%.  NWE’s long-term earnings growth rate is 6.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS is pinned at $3.61, which calls for a year-over-year increase of 6.2%.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.5% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them 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 IDACORP, Inc. (IDA): Free Stock Analysis Report National Grid Transco, PLC (NGG): Free Stock Analysis Report NorthWestern Corporation (NWE): Free Stock Analysis Report Fortis (FTS): 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