NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) Reaches New 52-Week Low Following Weak Earnings
by Danessa Lincoln · The Markets DailyNRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG – Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low on Wednesday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as low as $112.50 and last traded at $116.7310, with a volume of 13649061 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $138.47.
The utilities provider reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.69 by ($0.20). NRG Energy had a net margin of 2.56% and a return on equity of 52.95%. The business had revenue of $7.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.31 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.73 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. NRG Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.900-9.900 EPS.
NRG Energy Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.475 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 3rd. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. NRG Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 223.53%.
Key NRG Energy News
Here are the key news stories impacting NRG Energy this week:
- Positive Sentiment: NRG reported second-quarter revenue of $7.48 billion, up 11% year over year and above the $7.31 billion analyst consensus. The company also generated $1.12 billion in operating cash flow and $1.03 billion in free cash flow before growth investments. NRG Energy Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Reaffirms 2026 Financial Guidance
- Positive Sentiment: The company outlined a 1.2-gigawatt Texas “Bring Your Own Power” project aimed at supplying large customers, including data centers. NRG is targeting commercial operation in late 2029 and approximately $500 million in annual adjusted EBITDA, creating a potentially meaningful long-term earnings catalyst. NRG outlines Texas BYOP project
- Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank maintained a “sector outperform” rating, indicating continued confidence in NRG’s prospects despite reducing its price target from $226 to $211. Benzinga
- Neutral Sentiment: Management reaffirmed full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $7.90 to $9.90. The midpoint is below the roughly $9.17 analyst consensus, but the unchanged outlook provides some stability after the quarterly results. NRG Energy Q2 Adjusted Earnings Fall
- Negative Sentiment: Adjusted EPS was $1.49, below estimates of approximately $1.66–$1.69 and down from $1.73 a year earlier. Rising interest costs were cited as a key pressure, offsetting the revenue growth and weighing on near-term investor sentiment. NRG Energy misses quarterly profit estimates
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of analysts have recently commented on NRG shares. Scotiabank reduced their price target on shares of NRG Energy from $226.00 to $211.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial set a $210.00 target price on shares of NRG Energy in a report on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of NRG Energy from $203.00 to $209.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Morgan Stanley set a $165.00 target price on shares of NRG Energy in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $195.00 price target on shares of NRG Energy in a report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, NRG Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $199.29.
View Our Latest Research Report on NRG
Insider Buying and Selling at NRG Energy
In other news, VP Virginia Kinney sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.52, for a total value of $2,550,400.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 45,111 shares in the company, valued at $5,752,554.72. This represents a 30.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Institutional Trading of NRG Energy
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NRG. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of NRG Energy by 178.1% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,676,513 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,222,409,000 after acquiring an additional 4,916,653 shares during the period. Capital World Investors bought a new position in NRG Energy in the 4th quarter worth $305,817,000. Boston Partners raised its holdings in NRG Energy by 124.1% in the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,808,814 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $287,469,000 after purchasing an additional 1,001,672 shares during the period. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC lifted its position in NRG Energy by 492.5% during the second quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 883,781 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $141,918,000 after purchasing an additional 734,624 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Merewether Investment Management LP bought a new stake in NRG Energy during the third quarter valued at about $85,951,000. 97.72% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
NRG Energy Stock Up 3.5%
The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.17. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $134.84 and a 200-day simple moving average of $147.49. The firm has a market cap of $25.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.05 and a beta of 1.22.
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.