ETRUtilitiesElectric Utility·Sep 3, 2026·5 min read

[ETR] Entergy Thesis 2026: Data Center Load Anchors Long-Cycle Capital Expenditure Plan

Entergy FY25 (Dec 31, 2025) at $12.95B revenue (+9%). NI $1.77B; EPS $3.91 (top half of guidance). Retail sales +4%, industrial +7%. Long-term: 8% retail sales CAGR through 2029, 15% industrial CAGR. $43B capital plan + $2B Cottonwood. FY26+ guide: >8% adjusted EPS annual growth through 2029. Data center pipeline 7-12 GW + other industries 3-5 GW.

Entergy 2025-26: 8%+ EPS CAGR Through 2029, $43B Capex

FY25 revenue $12.95B (+9%); Op income $3.05B (+15%); NI $1.77B (+67%); EPS $3.91 (+60%, top half of guidance). 2025 retail sales +4% (industrial +7%). Long-term: 8% retail sales CAGR through 2029, 15% industrial growth. $43B capital plan through 2029 (+$2B for Cottonwood acquisition). FY26 guide: >8% adjusted EPS annual growth through 2029. Data center pipeline 7-12 GW + other industries 3-5 GW.

Key takeaways

  • Adjusted EPS $3.91 in top half of guidance range. Better than the midpoint, +60% vs FY24. Strong execution against priorities.
  • 8%+ EPS CAGR through 2029. Mgmt explicitly guides >8% adjusted EPS annual growth — among the highest among regulated utilities. Retail sales CAGR 8% through 2029 the underlying.
  • Data center demand the structural lever. Pipeline of 7-12 GW data centers + 3-5 GW other industries. Industrial sales projected +15% CAGR through 2029.
  • $43B capital plan through 2029 (+$2B with Cottonwood). Major upward revision. Cottonwood (TX) acquired adding ~700 MW gas-fired generation.
  • Customer satisfaction at top of industry. Net Promoter Score first quartile for residential + business. Entergy Texas #1 in business electric service satisfaction (J.D. Power).

Business

Entergy is a regulated electric utility serving 3M+ customers across Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas. Three reporting segments + corporate:

  • Utility (~95% of revenue): Entergy Louisiana + Entergy New Orleans + Entergy Mississippi + Entergy Arkansas + Entergy Texas. Vertically-integrated electric service.
  • Entergy Wholesale Commodities (EWC): Mostly wound down post-Indian Point + Palisades sales. Small residual.
  • Cottonwood (post-acquisition): ~700 MW gas-fired generation in Texas serving large industrial customers. Closed late FY25.

Strategic positioning: Gulf Coast + Mid-Continent utility footprint with rapidly-growing industrial customer base. Data center alley emerging in Mississippi (Meta has multiple campuses) + Texas industrial reshoring (semiconductor + battery + chemical) driving 15% industrial sales CAGR projection.

FY25 financial performance

Metric (FY)202320242025
Revenue ($B)12.1511.8812.95
Gross profit ($B)5.335.743.87
Op income ($B)2.622.653.05
Op margin21.6%22.3%23.6%
EBITDA ($B)4.925.046.15
Net income ($B)2.361.061.77
Diluted EPS ($)5.552.453.91
Adj EPS ($)~$3.65~$3.55$3.91
FCF ($B)-0.42-1.48-2.79
Capex ($B)-4.71-5.97-7.94
Total debt ($B)26.5429.3130.93
Dividends ($B)-0.94-1.00-1.09

The earnings print: Revenue +9%, op margin +130bp to 23.6%, EPS +60%. Adj EPS $3.91 top half of guide. Capex stepped to $-7.94B FY25 (61% of revenue) — heavy growth investment for data center load + Cottonwood acquisition. Total debt $30.93B (+$1.6B YoY). FCF -$2.79B reflects capex > operating cash flow.

Capital allocation

  • Capex: $-7.94B FY25 — heavy. $43B plan through 2029 (~$8.6B/year average).
  • Dividends: $-1.09B FY25 (+9% YoY). Continued raise.
  • Buybacks: zero. Capital priority on capex.
  • M&A: Cottonwood acquisition closed (~$2B addition to capital plan).
  • Debt management: $30.93B (+$1.6B YoY) funding capex.

FY26 outlook (per Q4 2025 call, 2026-02-12)

FY26 / Long-termGuide
Adjusted EPS annual growth (through 2029)>8%
Retail sales CAGR (through 2029)8%
Industrial sales CAGR (through 2029)15%
Data center pipeline7-12 GW
Other industries pipeline3-5 GW
Capital plan (through 2029)$43B (+$2B for Cottonwood)
Credit metricsMoody's CFO/debt above downgrade threshold

The 8%+ EPS CAGR sets Entergy at the high end of regulated utility growth peers — comparable to AEP, Dominion. The 15% industrial sales CAGR is the structural read.

Key risks

  • Data center load conversion: Pipeline 7-12 GW must actually energize. Speculative reservations could fall through.
  • Regulatory rate cases: Multi-state utility footprint requires rate case wins to recover capex.
  • Hurricane / storm: Gulf Coast exposure. Severe weather can compress earnings + delay recovery.
  • Generation mix transition: Coal retirements + gas additions + renewables build-out. Cottonwood (gas) supports near-term needs.
  • Interest rates: $30.9B debt; rate cycle affects refinancing cost.
  • Credit rating: Heavy capex + load growth assumptions; rating agencies watching.

Bottom line

ETR FY25 is the data center + industrial growth thesis solidified. Revenue +9%, adj EPS $3.91 top half of guide, retail sales +4% with industrial +7%. Long-term 8%+ EPS CAGR + 15% industrial CAGR + $43B capex through 2029. The structural read: among the most directly-leveraged utilities to data center + reshoring industrial demand. Risks are load conversion + regulatory + storm + interest rates.

Citations

  • Entergy Corp. FY25 Form 10-K (filed February 2026, SEC EDGAR).
  • Entergy Q4 2025 earnings call, 2026-02-12 — adj EPS $3.91 top half of guide; retail sales +4% (industrial +7%); long-term >8% adj EPS annual growth through 2029, 8% retail sales CAGR (15% industrial); $43B capital plan + $2B for Cottonwood; data center pipeline 7-12 GW + other industries 3-5 GW; J.D. Power #1 Texas business electric satisfaction.
  • Internal financial_statements view (consolidated annual + cash flow + capital structure).
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