AWK vs. NRG: American Water Works vs. NRG Energy Stock Comparison
How do American Water Works (AWK) and NRG Energy (NRG) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
American Water Works (AWK) and NRG Energy (NRG) both fall under the Utilities industry group, but AWK is classified in Water Utilities while NRG is classified in Electric Utilities.
| Profile Item | AWK | NRG |
|---|---|---|
| Name | American Water Works Company, Inc. | NRG Energy, Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry Group | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry | Water Utilities | Electric Utilities |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Water Utilities | Electric Utilities |
| Market Capitalization | 29.92 billion USD | 18.56 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | April 23, 2008 | December 2, 2003 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AWK | NRG |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 17.61% | -43.14% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 9.05% | 31.18% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -0.39% | 25.79% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | AWK | NRG |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 22.53% | 52.51% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.54 | 1.20 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -37.10% | -55.72% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.03M | 3.15M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AWK | NRG |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.59 | -0.90 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.95 | -1.19 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
NRG Energy (NRG) at 23.77% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than American Water Works (AWK) at 9.95%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
AWK
Utilities industry group
9.95%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- AWK
- 9.95%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
NRG
Utilities industry group
23.77%
- NRG
- 23.77%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
Net Margin (TTM)
American Water Works (AWK) at 21.26% keeps a top-quartile share of each sales dollar as profit, while NRG Energy (NRG) at 2.56% keeps a bottom-quartile share.
AWK
Utilities industry group
21.26%
- Max
- 28.78%
- AWK
- 21.26%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- Min
- -0.20%
NRG
Utilities industry group
2.56%
- Max
- 28.78%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- NRG
- 2.56%
- Min
- -0.20%
Operating Margin (TTM)
American Water Works (AWK) at 43.18% carries a top-quartile operating margin, while NRG Energy (NRG) at 12.77% operates in the bottom quartile.
AWK
Utilities industry group
43.18%
- Max
- 53.83%
- AWK
- 43.18%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- Median
- 23.62%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- Min
- -4.90%
NRG
Utilities industry group
12.77%
- Max
- 53.83%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- Median
- 23.62%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- NRG
- 12.77%
- Min
- -4.90%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AWK | NRG |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 9.95% | 23.77% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.50% | 4.06% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 21.26% | 2.56% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 43.18% | 12.77% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 61.86% | 18.80% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both American Water Works (AWK) at 9.74% and NRG Energy (NRG) at 9.18% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
American Water Works (AWK) at 5.57% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while NRG Energy (NRG) at -19.64% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AWK | NRG |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 9.74% | 9.18% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 10.67% | -0.88% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 5.57% | -19.64% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 8.06% | -8.12% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
NRG Energy (NRG) at 0.97 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while American Water Works (AWK) at 0.39 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for AWK.
AWK
Utilities industry group
0.39
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- Median
- 0.88
- Q1
- 0.66
- AWK
- 0.39
- Min
- 0.29
NRG
Utilities industry group
0.97
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- NRG
- 0.97
- Median
- 0.88
- Q1
- 0.66
- Min
- 0.29
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
American Water Works (AWK) at 1.38 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while NRG Energy (NRG) at 4.83 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.
AWK
Utilities industry group
1.38
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- AWK
- 1.38
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
NRG
Utilities industry group
4.83
- NRG
- 4.83
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AWK | NRG |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.39 | 0.97 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.38 | 4.83 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.49 | 7.16 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both American Water Works (AWK) at 2.26% and NRG Energy (NRG) at 2.32% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
AWK
Utilities industry group
2.26%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- Median
- 2.85%
- AWK
- 2.26%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
NRG
Utilities industry group
2.32%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- Median
- 2.85%
- NRG
- 2.32%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both American Water Works (AWK) at 59.60% and NRG Energy (NRG) at 47.91% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
AWK
Utilities industry group
59.60%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- AWK
- 59.60%
- Median
- 56.38%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- Min
- 0.00%
NRG
Utilities industry group
47.91%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- Median
- 56.38%
- NRG
- 47.91%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AWK | NRG |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.26% | 2.32% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 59.60% | 47.91% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
NRG Energy (NRG) at 23.11 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while American Water Works (AWK) at 26.00 sits in the richer quartile — AWK needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
AWK
Utilities industry group
26.00
- Max
- 31.22
- AWK
- 26.00
- Q3
- 23.30
- Median
- 19.64
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
NRG
Utilities industry group
23.11
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- NRG
- 23.11
- Median
- 19.64
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
P/S Ratio (TTM)
NRG Energy (NRG) at 0.56 looks cheap on sales in the lower P/S ratio quartile, while American Water Works (AWK) at 5.60 looks rich in the upper quartile — a clear gap in price per dollar of revenue.
AWK
Utilities industry group
5.60
- Max
- 6.35
- AWK
- 5.60
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
NRG
Utilities industry group
0.56
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- NRG
- 0.56
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: American Water Works (AWK) at 2.51 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and NRG Energy (NRG) at 4.42 prices even higher, above its industry range.
AWK
Utilities industry group
2.51
- Max
- 3.12
- AWK
- 2.51
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
NRG
Utilities industry group
4.42
- NRG
- 4.42
- Max
- 3.12
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AWK | NRG |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 26.00 | 23.11 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 5.60 | 0.56 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.51 | 4.42 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -5.45% | 4.16% |