Trump Administration Cancels $1.8B Loan Guarantee for Pinnacle West
- Loan Guarantee Cancellation: The Trump administration has canceled an $1.8 billion loan guarantee for Pinnacle West's Arizona utility subsidiary, which was intended for renewable energy deployment, significantly impacting the company's future clean energy investment plans.
- Financing Review Impact: This cancellation is part of a broader review of approximately $30 billion in financing from the Biden administration, indicating a major shift in policy direction that could lead to a more challenging financing environment for clean energy projects.
- Project Details Disclosure: The loan guarantee was earmarked for renewable energy, electric transmission lines, and a battery storage project linked to an existing solar site, and its failure to finalize will hinder Arizona's energy transition efforts.
- Subsequent Project Cancellations: In addition to Pinnacle West's project, the Department of Energy has also canceled financing commitments to other companies, including a $3 billion loan guarantee to solar developer Sunnova Energy, reflecting a diminishing government support for clean energy initiatives.
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- Loan Guarantee Cancellation: The Trump administration has canceled an $1.8 billion loan guarantee for Pinnacle West's Arizona utility subsidiary, which was intended for renewable energy deployment, significantly impacting the company's future clean energy investment plans.
- Financing Review Impact: This cancellation is part of a broader review of approximately $30 billion in financing from the Biden administration, indicating a major shift in policy direction that could lead to a more challenging financing environment for clean energy projects.
- Project Details Disclosure: The loan guarantee was earmarked for renewable energy, electric transmission lines, and a battery storage project linked to an existing solar site, and its failure to finalize will hinder Arizona's energy transition efforts.
- Subsequent Project Cancellations: In addition to Pinnacle West's project, the Department of Energy has also canceled financing commitments to other companies, including a $3 billion loan guarantee to solar developer Sunnova Energy, reflecting a diminishing government support for clean energy initiatives.
- Earnings Upgrades: As earnings season kicks off, utility stocks are seeing upward revisions in earnings estimates, with Engie SA and Iberdrola, S.A. receiving A+ ratings, indicating strong analyst confidence in their profit outlook.
- Analyst Confidence Rising: The EPS revision ratings reflect an increase in analysts' confidence regarding profitability, with Atmos Energy Corporation and AXIA Energia SA receiving A and A ratings respectively, suggesting improving earnings capabilities.
- Market Focus: Major utility stocks like Brookfield Infrastructure Partners and Sempra have also achieved A ratings in EPS revisions, drawing significant investor interest that could lead to stock price increases.
- Increased Investor Interest: Ameren Corporation and Consolidated Edison, rated A-, demonstrate ongoing market interest in their growth potential, which may influence future investment decisions.
Consumer Products Sector Performance: The Consumer Products sector is underperforming with a 0.7% loss, notably impacted by Lamb Weston Holdings Inc (down 24.0%) and Nike (down 11.3%). Year-to-date, Lamb Weston is down 30.32% and Nike is down 20.92%.
Utilities Sector Performance: The Utilities sector shows a 0.5% loss, with Constellation Energy Corp and Pinnacle West Capital Corp experiencing losses of 1.3% and 1.2%, respectively. Year-to-date, Constellation is up 60.00% and Pinnacle West is up 7.41%.
ETFs Overview: The iShares U.S. Consumer Goods ETF (IYK) is flat on the day but up 5.46% year-to-date, while the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU) is down 0.5% today but up 15.73% year-to-date.
Market Snapshot: In afternoon trading, seven sectors of the S&P 500 are up while two sectors, Consumer Products and Utilities, are down.
- Dividend Declaration: Pinnacle West Capital Corporation's board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.91 per share, payable on March 2, 2026, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to shareholder returns.
- Asset Scale: The company boasts nearly $30 billion in consolidated assets and approximately 6,500 megawatts of generating capacity, underscoring its strong position in the energy market.
- Employee Count: With around 6,400 employees, Pinnacle West plays a significant role in the local economies of Arizona and New Mexico, supporting its operational capabilities.
- Customer Base: Through its principal subsidiary, Arizona Public Service, Pinnacle West provides retail electricity service to about 1.4 million homes and businesses, demonstrating its extensive influence in the regional power market.
Put Contract Overview: The $85.00 put contract for PNW has a bid of $2.30, allowing investors to buy shares at a cost basis of $82.70, which is a 5% discount from the current price of $89.38. There is a 64% chance the contract may expire worthless, offering a potential 2.71% return on cash commitment.
Call Contract Overview: The $90.00 call contract has a bid of $4.40, and if shares are purchased at $89.38 and the call is sold, it could yield a total return of 5.62% if the stock is called away by July 2026. There is a 50% chance this contract may also expire worthless, providing a 4.92% additional return.
Volatility Insights: The implied volatility for the put contract is 22%, while for the call contract it is 20%. The actual trailing twelve-month volatility is calculated at 17%, based on the last 250 trading days.
YieldBoost Concept: The article discusses the concept of YieldBoost, which refers to the additional returns investors can earn from options contracts, highlighting the potential benefits of both put and call strategies for PNW stock.
Dividend Predictability: Dividend amounts for companies like Pinnacle West Capital Corp are influenced by profitability, making them unpredictable; analyzing historical data can help assess the likelihood of maintaining a 4.2% annualized yield.
Options Trading Insights: The trading history and volatility of Pinnacle West can guide decisions on options, such as selling covered calls at a $95 strike, balancing potential rewards against risks.
Current Market Activity: On a recent trading day, S&P 500 options showed a high call volume of 2.06 million compared to 861,560 puts, indicating a strong preference for calls among traders.
Author's Perspective: The opinions expressed in the article reflect the author's views and do not necessarily align with those of Nasdaq, Inc.











