NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) Stock Price Down 6.2% After Insider Selling
by Tristan Rich · The Markets DailyNRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG – Get Free Report) was down 6.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $149.81 and last traded at $149.80. Approximately 1,214,494 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 22% from the average daily volume of 1,557,920 shares. The stock had previously closed at $159.63.
Specifically, VP Brian Curci sold 46,976 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.84, for a total transaction of $7,461,667.84. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 46,113 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,324,588.92. The trade was a 50.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Brian Curci sold 60,580 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total value of $9,796,391.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 93,089 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,053,422.19. This trade represents a 39.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In other news, CFO Bruce Chung sold 7,617 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.79, for a total value of $1,209,503.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 91,530 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,534,048.70. This represents a 7.68% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of analysts recently weighed in on NRG shares. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $198.00 target price on shares of NRG Energy in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of NRG Energy in a research report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of NRG Energy in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $211.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of NRG Energy in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded NRG Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $199.21.
View Our Latest Stock Report on NRG Energy
NRG Energy News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting NRG Energy this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Board names long‑time insider Robert J. Gaudette as President today and Chief Executive Officer effective April 30, 2026 — management continuity and an internal successor can reduce execution risk versus an outside hire. Business Wire: NRG Energy Announces Leadership Succession Plan
- Positive Sentiment: Company has a sizable share‑repurchase authorization ($3.0B, up to ~9.2% of shares) that supports buyback-driven EPS support and signals board confidence in long‑term value. MarketBeat: Hims, Block, and NRG Just Launched Huge Stock Buybacks
- Neutral Sentiment: Recent quarterly results (Nov 6) beat estimates and the company has a majority analyst Buy/Strong Buy tilt and a consensus price target above current levels — fundamentals remain supportive but already priced in. MarketBeat: NRG Stock Profile
- Negative Sentiment: CFO Bruce Chung sold 7,617 shares (~$1.21M) on Jan. 6, reducing his stake — a disclosed insider sale that can create short‑term selling pressure and investor concern. InsiderTrades: CFO Sells $1.21M in Stock
- Negative Sentiment: VP Brian Curci reported large sales (60,580 shares on Jan. 5 and 46,976 shares on Jan. 6), totaling tens of millions — substantial executive selling increases negative market sentiment and likely contributed to intraday price weakness. SEC Filing: Insider Sales by Brian Curci
- Negative Sentiment: Incoming CEO Robert Gaudette also sold 45,000 shares on Jan. 6 — insider sales by the very executive being elevated to CEO amplify investor questions about timing and motivation. SEC Filing: Insider Sale by Robert J. Gaudette
NRG Energy Stock Down 6.0%
The stock has a market capitalization of $28.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.41 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.45, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.05. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $164.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $160.41.
NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The utilities provider reported $2.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.93 by $0.85. The company had revenue of $7.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.53 billion. NRG Energy had a net margin of 4.84% and a return on equity of 103.57%. NRG Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.90 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that NRG Energy, Inc. will post 6.36 EPS for the current year.
NRG Energy Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 17th. Investors of record on Monday, November 3rd were paid a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 3rd. NRG Energy’s payout ratio is 26.31%.
NRG Energy announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Thursday, November 6th that authorizes the company to buyback $3.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the utilities provider to reacquire up to 9.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.
Institutional Trading of NRG Energy
A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NRG. Quent Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of NRG Energy during the third quarter worth $25,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp bought a new stake in NRG Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in shares of NRG Energy during the second quarter worth $28,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its holdings in NRG Energy by 90.4% in the third quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 179 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Finally, Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC bought a new position in NRG Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. 97.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
NRG Energy Company Profile
NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) is a U.S.-based integrated power company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company develops, owns and operates a diversified portfolio of power generation assets and participates in wholesale and retail energy markets. NRG supplies electricity to utilities, commercial and industrial customers, and retail consumers, while also providing energy-related products and services designed to manage consumption and support reliability.
NRG’s generation mix includes conventional thermal plants as well as renewable and distributed energy resources.