NextDecade (NASDAQ:NEXT) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

NextDecade (NASDAQ:NEXT) was upgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Zacks reports.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of NextDecade from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 24th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of NextDecade in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of NextDecade in a research report on Friday. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of NextDecade in a report on Friday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, NextDecade has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $8.10.

NextDecade Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of NextDecade stock opened at $7.38 on Thursday. NextDecade has a 12-month low of $4.75 and a 12-month high of $9.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.96 billion, a P/E ratio of -18.45 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $6.86 and a 200 day simple moving average of $6.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.70.

NextDecade (NASDAQ:NEXT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.71) by $1.25. Research analysts expect that NextDecade will post -2.10 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of NextDecade in the second quarter valued at approximately $179,608,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in NextDecade by 12.4% in the 1st quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,216,592 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,959,000 after purchasing an additional 574,080 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in NextDecade in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $14,415,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in NextDecade during the 2nd quarter worth $3,613,000. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in NextDecade by 56.7% during the 1st quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 416,955 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,194,000 after buying an additional 150,844 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.74% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about NextDecade

Here are the key news stories impacting NextDecade this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rio Grande LNG is reportedly ahead of schedule. NextDecade said it expects first LNG production from Train 1 in the second quarter of 2027, with project progress described as approximately one quarter ahead of schedule. Earlier production would improve the company’s path toward revenue generation and support investor confidence. NextDecade expects first LNG from Train 1 in Q2 2027 and targets Train 6 FID in second half of next year
• Positive Sentiment: Management is targeting additional expansion. NextDecade plans to make a final investment decision on Train 6 in the second half of 2027. The company also outlined a regulatory timeline for later Rio Grande LNG trains, potentially strengthening its long-term growth outlook. NextDecade offers regulatory timeline for latest Rio Grande LNG trains
• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter results exceeded expectations. NextDecade reported earnings of $0.54 per share versus the consensus estimate of a $0.71 per-share loss, marking a significant swing to profitability and helping drive the positive market reaction. NextDecade Provides Third Quarter 2026 Business Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity indicated increased bullish speculation. Traders purchased 2,936 call options, about 16% above typical volume. This may reflect expectations for further gains, but it does not necessarily represent long-term investment conviction.
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and financing remain important risks. NextDecade still faces the usual construction, regulatory and commissioning risks associated with a large LNG project. Its elevated leverage and weak liquidity metrics also leave the stock sensitive to cost overruns, delays or additional funding requirements.

About NextDecade

NextDecade Corporation is an energy company focused on developing liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure and related carbon-management solutions. The company’s principal project is Rio Grande LNG, an LNG export facility located near Brownsville, Texas, on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Rio Grande LNG is designed to receive natural gas, process it into LNG, and export the product by ship to customers in international markets. The project is being developed in multiple phases and is intended to serve energy markets in Europe, Asia and other regions seeking access to U.S.