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Entergy Corp.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 2 November 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Third quarter EPS rose to $1.98: Earnings were $940 million, or $1.98 per share, against $694 million, or $1.53, a year earlier. As-reported and adjusted figures were the same for the quarter. Source
  • Utility earnings rose $269 million: Utility earnings were $1,079 million, or $2.28 per share, against $810 million, or $1.79 a year earlier, on both as-reported and adjusted bases. Source
  • Louisiana transmission project approved: The Louisiana commission approved the $1.2 billion Babel to Webre transmission project for Entergy Louisiana. Source
  • Google service agreement expanded: Entergy Arkansas announced an expansion of its service agreement with Google during the quarter. Source
  • Weather-adjusted retail sales rose 4.5%: Weather-adjusted retail sales rose 4.5 percent for the quarter, and residential sales rose 6.1 percent. Source
  • Interest expense rose on debt and rates: Utility interest expense rose on higher debt balances, higher average interest rates, and higher carrying costs on customer advances. Source
  • Capital spending reached $7.7 billion: Construction and capital expenditures were $7,743 million for the nine months, against $5,557 million a year earlier. Source
  • Quarterly dividend raised six percent: The board declared a quarterly dividend of 68 cents per share, a six percent increase. Source

“We have clear line of sight to deliver on our near- and long-term objectives, and we are well positioned to execute on additional”

Drew Marsh, Entergy Chair and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Adjusted earnings per share (non-GAAP) Source2026 full year$4.35 to $4.45

What changed from last quarter

  • New: The quarterly dividend was raised six percent to 68 cents per share. Source
  • New: Entergy Arkansas expanded its service agreement with Google. Source
  • New: Orange County Advanced Power Station began operating and delivering power to Entergy Texas customers. Source
  • New: Parent & Other issued $1.5 billion of junior subordinated debentures in August 2026, after $1.3 billion in November 2025. Source
  • New: The Louisiana commission approved a $1.2 billion transmission project, the Babel to Webre line. Source

Quarter results and growth drivers

  • Third quarter EPS rose to $1.98: Earnings were $940 million, or $1.98 per share, against $694 million, or $1.53, a year earlier. As-reported and adjusted figures were the same for the quarter. Source
  • Year-to-date EPS rose to $3.86: Nine-month as-reported EPS was $3.86 against $3.40. Adjusted EPS was $3.89, after a $0.03 first-quarter impairment excluded from adjusted earnings. Source
  • Price and volume drove the increase: Retail electric price added $0.33 per share in the quarter, and electric volume with weather added $0.33. Return on CWIP added $0.09. Source
  • Weather lifted quarter results: The estimated weather impact was $116 million, or $0.24 per share, against $28 million, or $0.06 per share, in third quarter 2025. Source

Utility and Parent & Other results

  • Utility earnings rose $269 million: Utility earnings were $1,079 million, or $2.28 per share, against $810 million, or $1.79 a year earlier, on both as-reported and adjusted bases. Source
  • Retail volume and rate actions lifted Utility: Cited drivers were higher retail sales volume including weather, the net effect of regulatory actions across several operating companies, and return on CWIP. Source
  • Utility O&M and interest offset gains: Higher interest expense, other O&M, and depreciation and amortization partly offset the Utility gains in the quarter. Source
  • Parent & Other loss widened on interest: Parent & Other lost $139 million, or $0.29 per share, against a $117 million, or $0.26, loss. Higher interest expense was the primary driver. Source

“We made very strong progress this quarter across customer, operational, regulatory, and financial aspects of our business,”

Drew Marsh, Entergy Chair and Chief Executive Officer

Regulatory, project and other milestones

  • Louisiana transmission project approved: The Louisiana commission approved the $1.2 billion Babel to Webre transmission project for Entergy Louisiana. Source
  • Louisiana settlement in Evest filing: Entergy Louisiana reached a settlement with LPSC Staff in its Evest filing. Source
  • Future Ready investment filing made: Entergy Louisiana filed its application for additional Future Ready resilience plan investment. Source
  • Google service agreement expanded: Entergy Arkansas announced an expansion of its service agreement with Google during the quarter. Source
  • New Orleans resilience plan extended: The Council of the City of New Orleans approved a four-year extension of the Entergy New Orleans formula rate plan. Source
  • Mississippi storm cost securitization filed: Entergy Mississippi filed an application to securitize costs associated with Winter Storm Fern. Source

Retail sales and customers

  • Weather-adjusted retail sales rose 4.5%: Weather-adjusted retail sales rose 4.5 percent for the quarter, and residential sales rose 6.1 percent. Source
  • Industrial sales led growth: Industrial sales rose 4.9% in the quarter and 9.6% year to date, driven by data center and primary metals customers. Source
  • Retail customer count up 0.5%: Electric retail customers totaled 3,081,569, up 0.5%, while industrial customers fell 4.6%. Source
  • Wholesale sales fell 13.5%: Wholesale sales were 3,528 GWh in the quarter, against 4,079 GWh a year earlier. Source

Costs and earnings variances

  • Vegetation and plant work raised O&M: Utility other O&M rose on vegetation maintenance costs and on a larger plant-outage work scope in 2026 than in 2025. Source
  • Other O&M per MWh up 2.9%: Other O&M and nuclear refueling outage expense was $19.71 per MWh in the quarter, against $19.15 a year earlier. Source
  • Depreciation rose on plant additions: Depreciation and amortization rose on higher plant in service. FERC rates at two operating companies and nuclear rates also contributed. Source
  • Interest expense rose on debt and rates: Utility interest expense rose on higher debt balances, higher average interest rates, and higher carrying costs on customer advances. Source
  • Ad valorem taxes rose on assessments: Year-to-date taxes other than income taxes rose mainly because ad valorem taxes increased on higher assessments. Source

Cash flow and balance sheet

  • Operating cash flow rose $100 million: Operating cash flow was $2,235 million in the quarter against $2,135 million, and $4,957 million year to date against $3,933 million. Source
  • Customer advances lifted year-to-date cash: Year-to-date operating cash flow rose mainly on advance payments under customer agreements and higher Utility customer collections. Source
  • Capital spending reached $7.7 billion: Construction and capital expenditures were $7,743 million for the nine months, against $5,557 million a year earlier. Source
  • Cash and liquidity rose: Cash and cash equivalents were $4,205 million at September 30, against $1,517 million. Gross liquidity was $8,551 million. Source
  • Junior debentures and total debt rose: Junior subordinated debentures stood at $4,000 million against $1,200 million. Total debt was $34,936 million against $30,563 million. Source
  • Leverage measures fell: Adjusted debt to adjusted capitalization was 60% against 63%. Adjusted net debt to adjusted net capitalization was 56% against 62%. Source

Dividend and share count

  • Quarterly dividend raised six percent: The board declared a quarterly dividend of 68 cents per share, a six percent increase. Source
  • Common dividends paid $884.6 million: Common dividends paid were $884.6 million for the nine months, against $784.7 million a year earlier. Source
  • Equity sold forward still unsettled: Equity sold forward and not yet settled was $2,144 million at September 30, against $3,075 million a year earlier. Source
  • Diluted share count rose 21 million: Diluted average shares were 474 million in the quarter, against 454 million, mainly from settlement of equity forwards. Source
  • Return on equity eased slightly: Twelve-month as-reported ROE was 11.2% against 11.4%. Adjusted ROE was 11.3% against 11.4%. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Customer growth Source0.5% to 3,081,569 electric retail customers
Load growth Sourceweather-adjusted retail sales +4.5% (quarter); +5.3% (year to date)
Capital plan Source$7,743 million construction and capital expenditures, nine months to Sept. 30, 2026
Rate cases SourceCCNO approved four-year FRP extension for Entergy New Orleans

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Vegetation maintenance costs raised power delivery expenses, a driver of the higher Utility other O&M. Source
  • Operational: Higher power generation expense reflected a larger work scope in 2026, including during plant outages. Source
  • Financial: Higher debt balances and interest rates increased Utility interest expense. Source
  • External: Higher ad valorem assessments raised year-to-date taxes other than income taxes. Source
  • Financial: Lower proceeds from production tax credit transfers offset part of the operating cash flow gain. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The second-quarter release affirmed the 2026 adjusted EPS range of $4.25 to $4.45.
  • On track: In the second-quarter release, management stated it remained on track for its 2026 objectives.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.