NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.30 EPS

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The utilities provider reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.78 by ($0.30), FiscalAI reports. NRG Energy had a net margin of 0.74% and a return on equity of 70.67%. The firm had revenue of $10.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.43 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.68 EPS. NRG Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 19.5% compared to the same quarter last year. NRG Energy updated its FY 2026 guidance to 7.900-9.900 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from NRG Energy’s conference call:

• Reaffirmed 2026 guidance as the business is “tracking to plan” with Q1 adjusted EBITDA of $1.08B and adjusted EPS of $1.49, and management says integration of the LS Power portfolio is underway and performing ahead of expectations.
• T.E.F. development on schedule: T.H. Wharton is expected online in May on time, on budget and qualifying for the TEF completion bonus, and three TEF projects will add 1.5 GW (serving ~300k Texas homes) — a claimed competitive advantage in new gas build capability.
• Management highlights a potentially massive demand shift (ERCOT pipeline >367 GW by 2033 vs ~85 GW record peak) and sees up to 2 GW of upgrade/conversion opportunities in PJM, but outcomes depend on interconnection, contracts and evolving regulation.
• Balance-sheet and shareholder actions: the company closed $3.5B of new financing (Apr 28) to deleverage post-acquisition, expects ~$1B of debt repayment this year, has repurchased $817M to date, and remains committed to returning at least $1.4B to shareholders.
• Q1 performance was weighed by unusually mild Texas weather and timing of Winter Storm Fern (the LS assets closed Jan 30 and missed most of the storm), and higher interest expense and D&A from the acquisition drove lower year‑over‑year adjusted net income and EPS.

NRG Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NRG stock traded down $3.74 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $138.12. 2,447,390 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,759,256. The company has a market cap of $29.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 162.50 and a beta of 1.32. The company’s 50 day moving average is $157.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $160.31. NRG Energy has a 1 year low of $117.43 and a 1 year high of $189.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 1.58.

NRG Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.475 per share. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 1st. NRG Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 223.53%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on NRG shares. Barclays reduced their price target on NRG Energy from $203.00 to $200.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wolfe Research raised NRG Energy from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $190.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on NRG Energy from $198.00 to $181.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on NRG Energy in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $232.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Evercore began coverage on NRG Energy in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $215.00 price objective for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, NRG Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $197.57.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Virginia Kinney sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.65, for a total transaction of $783,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 55,495 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,693,291.75. This represents a 8.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.43% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NRG Energy

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NRG. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new position in NRG Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in NRG Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. BOKF NA boosted its holdings in shares of NRG Energy by 3,714.3% during the third quarter. BOKF NA now owns 267 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of NRG Energy by 1,970.6% during the third quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC now owns 352 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new stake in shares of NRG Energy during the fourth quarter worth $64,000. 97.72% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About NRG Energy

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.