The stock market is a loud place, usually. Everyone is screaming about the latest tech breakthrough or some volatile crypto coin. But then you have New Jersey Resources (NJR). It doesn’t scream. It just sort of sits there, paying its bills and, more importantly, paying its investors. If you’re looking at the NJR stock price today, you’re seeing a company that’s currently trading around the $46.90 to $47.00 mark.
It’s steady. Boring, even? Maybe. But in a 2026 economy that still feels a bit like walking on eggshells, boring is starting to look pretty attractive.
What’s Actually Happening with the NJR Stock Price Today?
As of mid-January 2026, NJR is showing some decent resilience. We saw it close yesterday around $46.96, a slight bump of about 0.58%. It’s been bouncing between a 52-week low of roughly $43.46 and a high of $50.77.
You’ve got to look at the "why" behind these numbers. It isn't just random market noise. The company recently signaled it’s heading into its fiscal 2026 first-quarter earnings call, which is set for February 3, 2026. Investors are basically playing a game of "wait and see" right now. They want to know if the management's projection of $3.03 to $3.18 in Net Financial Earnings (NFE) per share for the year is actually on track.
Honestly, the price action is kinda predictable for a utility. You aren't going to wake up and see NJR up 40% in a day. That’s not what this is. This is a "slow and steady" play.
The 30-Year Streak Nobody Talks About
If there is one thing that defines NJR, it’s the dividend. They didn't just decide to be generous last week. They have raised their dividend for 30 consecutive years. Think about that. That means through the 2008 crash, a global pandemic, and the weird inflation spikes of the early 2020s, they just kept hiking the payout.
Right now, the annual dividend is sitting at $1.90 per share.
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- The Yield: It's hovering around 4%.
- The Consistency: They’ve paid dividends since 1952.
- The Growth: The most recent hike moved it to $0.475 per quarter.
For folks who are "income seekers"—the ones who just want their money to make more money while they sleep—this is the headline. You aren't buying NJR because you think it’s the next Tesla. You’re buying it because you want that check to hit your account every three months like clockwork.
Is New Jersey Resources More Than Just Gas Pipes?
Most people think of NJR and picture the "New Jersey Natural Gas" trucks driving around Monmouth or Ocean counties. And sure, that’s the bread and butter. It’s the regulated utility part that keeps the lights on—literally. But the stock price today is also being moved by their "Clean Energy Ventures" (CEV).
Last year, they put a record 93 megawatts of solar capacity into service. They now have nearly 480 MW of solar across several states, including New York and Pennsylvania.
They’re also messing around with some pretty futuristic stuff like the Howell Green Hydrogen Project. They’re basically taking water, splitting it with renewable energy, and blending that hydrogen into the gas lines to lower emissions. It sounds like sci-fi, but they’re doing it. This "green" shift is important because it keeps the regulators happy in a state like New Jersey, which has some of the most aggressive clean energy goals in the country (100% clean energy by 2035).
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What the "Smart Money" Thinks Right Now
If you look at the analyst ratings, nobody is pounding the table for a "Strong Buy," but nobody is running for the exits either. Out of the seven or so analysts tracking this, it’s a fairly even split between "Buy" and "Hold."
- The Average Price Target: Most are aiming for about $52.86.
- The Upside: That’s about a 12% gain from where we are today.
- The P/E Ratio: It’s sitting around 14x to 16x, which is actually cheaper than some of its peers like Atmos Energy (ATO).
Mizuho recently upgraded them to "Outperform" with a $54 target. They like the fact that NJR isn't just sitting on its hands; they are actively investing in their infrastructure—about $98 million went into their SAVEGREEN energy efficiency program alone.
The Risks You Shouldn't Ignore
It’s not all sunshine and hydrogen. There are real risks.
First off, weather. NJR makes a lot of money when it’s cold. If we have a weirdly warm winter in the Northeast, their "Energy Services" segment—which bets on natural gas volatility—doesn't perform as well.
Second, interest rates. Utility stocks are often treated like "bond proxies." When interest rates stay high, people sometimes ditch stocks like NJR to just buy safe government bonds. If the Fed doesn't play nice in 2026, it could keep a lid on the NJR stock price.
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Lastly, there’s the regulatory side. New Jersey is a tough state for utilities. If the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) decides not to let NJR raise rates to pay for all those new pipes and solar panels, the profit margins get squeezed.
Actionable Insights for Investors
So, what do you actually do with this information?
- Watch the February 2nd Release: That’s when the Q1 2026 results drop after the market closes. If they beat that $0.16 NFEPS from the same quarter last year, expect a jump.
- Check the Ex-Dividend Date: The next one is likely around March 10, 2026. If you want that April 1st payout, you need to own the stock before then.
- Look at the "Valuation Gap": NJR is trading at a lower Price-to-Earnings ratio than many other utilities. If you believe the market will eventually realize they are undervalued compared to companies like NiSource, there’s a "catch-up" trade here.
- Diversify the "Green" Portfolio: Don't buy NJR just for solar, but consider it a "hedged" way to play the energy transition. You get the safety of the gas utility with the upside of the solar projects.
NJR isn't going to make you a millionaire overnight. It’s a defensive play. In a world where everything feels a bit chaotic, a company that grows at 7% to 9% a year and pays you to wait is a solid anchor for a portfolio. Keep an eye on that $47 resistance level; if it breaks above that with high volume after the February earnings call, we could see that $52 target hit sooner than later.
Next Steps for You:
Check your portfolio's exposure to the utility sector. If you’re heavy on growth but light on income, NJR serves as a stabilizing force. You can also set a price alert for $46.40—the recent low—to see if a better entry point opens up before the February earnings announcement.