15 Best Dividend Paying Stocks to Buy Right Now

11. NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 74

NextEra Energy is one of the world’s largest energy companies. The company owns Florida Power & Light Company, a utility that serves approximately 12 million people across Florida. It also owns NextEra Energy Resources, an energy infrastructure business with power generation and storage assets spanning natural gas, nuclear, and renewable energy sources. With 28 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity, NextEra ranks among the world’s largest producers of renewable energy.

Its proposed $67 billion all-stock merger with Dominion Energy would significantly expand that footprint. Dominion generates electricity from a mix of coal, nuclear, natural gas, and renewable sources. The company also operates utilities that provide electric service to 3.6 million customers across Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, along with gas service to 500,000 customers in South Carolina. In addition, Dominion has a substantial backlog of 51 gigawatts of contracted capacity tied to data center demand.

If regulators approve the transaction, the merger is expected to close within 12 to 18 months. The combined company would have operations in 49 US states and provide utility services to millions of customers. It would manage 110 gigawatts of operating capacity and hold a large-load project pipeline totaling 130 gigawatts, supported by a base rate of $138 billion.

NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) expects the combined business to deliver adjusted earnings per share growth of at least 9% annually through 2032.