The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. But the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Xcel Energy (NASDAQ:XEL). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

Check out our latest analysis for Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy's Earnings Per Share Are Growing

Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. Xcel Energy managed to grow EPS by 4.3% per year, over three years. While that sort of growth rate isn't anything to write home about, it does show the business is growing.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. We note that while EBIT margins have improved from 16% to 20%, the company has actually reported a fall in revenue by 9.6%. That's not a good look.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

Of course the knack is to find stocks that have their best days in the future, not in the past. You could base your opinion on past performance, of course, but you may also want to check this interactive graph of professional analyst EPS forecasts for Xcel Energy.

Are Xcel Energy Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Since Xcel Energy has a market capitalisation of US$36b, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a large percentage of shares. But thanks to their investment in the company, it's pleasing to see that there are still incentives to align their actions with the shareholders. As a matter of fact, their holding is valued at US$21m. This considerable investment should help drive long-term value in the business. Even though that's only about 0.06% of the company, it's enough money to indicate alignment between the leaders of the business and ordinary shareholders.