Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL), headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is an energy company specializing in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. With a market cap of $35.24 billion, Xcel serves millions of residential, commercial, and industrial customers across eight U.S. states. The company is set to release its Q3 earnings before the market opens on Thursday, Oct. 31. Ahead of the event, analysts expect XEL to report a profit of $1.31 per share, up 6.5% from $1.23 in the year-ago quarter. The company has missed Wall Street’s earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters…