Exelon: Q3 Earnings Beat, Profits Still Bleak

Is the low cost of natural gas what prompted utility companies to switch from coal to the recently abundant alternative? Weren't these lower input costs supposed to help utilities become more profitable? Unfortunately, as of late, input costs have been keeping the market price of electricity at a point that has begun to squeeze the margins for these power providers.

Exelon (NYS: EXC) is the nation's largest provider of electricity generated by nuclear reactors. It is also the second-largest utility in the nation by customer base, behind Duke Energy (NYS: DUK) , after completing its merger with Constellation in March of this year. It is this merger to which management attributes much of the success for increasing revenue for the second straight quarter. However, much to the chagrin of investors, Exelon's generation business continues to be squeezed by tighter margins.

Every quarter this year has seen a reduction in profits with little end in sight. Until the price of natural gas rises, companies in the sector are likely to continue feeling the pinch. Exelon's CEO believes that if natural gas prices rose above $6, Exelon would increase its gross margin by $1.9 billion. With this outlook, the future appears bright, but only if the supply and demand for natural gas start to align more evenly.

With the swelling of the global middle class energy consumption will skyrocket over the next few decades, and long-term investors know that you want exposure to this space now. In our opinion, Exelon presents a rare "double-play" investment opportunity today. We're calling it "The One Energy Stock You Must Own Before 2014," and you can uncover it today, totally free, in our premium research report. Click here to read more.

The article Exelon: Q3 Earnings Beat, Profits Still Bleak originally appeared on Fool.com.

Joel South has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. Taylor Muckerman has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Exelon. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 - 2012 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.