Xcel Energy Inc. is an electric and natural gas delivery company. Co. provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to approximately 3.8 million electric customers and 2.2 million natural gas customers through four utility subsidiaries, NSP-Minnesota, NSP-Wisconsin, PSCo and SPS. Co. operates through two segments. The Regulated Electric Utility segment generates, purchases, transmits, distributes and sells electricity in Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. In addition, this segment includes sales for resale and provides wholesale transmission service to various entities in the U.S..
When researching a stock like Xcel Energy, many investors are the most familiar with Fundamental Analysis — looking at a company's balance sheet, earnings, revenues, and what's happening in that company's underlying business. Investors who use Fundamental Analysis to identify good stocks to buy or sell can also benefit from XEL Technical Analysis to help find a good entry or exit point. Technical Analysis is blind to the fundamentals and looks only at the trading data for XEL stock — the real life supply and demand for the stock over time — and examines that data in different ways. One of those ways is to calculate a Simpe Moving Average ("SMA") by looking back a certain number of days. One of the most popular "longer look-backs" is the XEL 200 day moving average ("XEL 200 DMA"), while one of the most popular "shorter look-backs" is the XEL 50 day moving average ("XEL 50 DMA"). A chart showing both of these popular moving averages is shown on this page for Xcel Energy. Comparing two moving averages against each other can be a useful visualization tool: by calculating the difference between the XEL 200 DMA and the XEL 50 DMA, we get a moving average convergence divergence indicator ("XEL MACD"). The XEL MACD chart, in conjunction with the chart of the moving averages, basically helps in visualizing how the moving averages are showing convergence (moving closer together), or divergence (moving farther apart). |