NRG vs. PNW: NRG Energy vs. Pinnacle West Capital Stock Comparison
How do NRG Energy (NRG) and Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) 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
NRG Energy (NRG) and Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) are both classified in the Electric Utilities sub-industry within the broader Electric Utilities industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | NRG | PNW |
|---|---|---|
| Name | NRG Energy, Inc. | Pinnacle West Capital Corporation |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry Group | Utilities | Utilities |
| GICS Industry | Electric Utilities | Electric Utilities |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Electric Utilities | Electric Utilities |
| Market Capitalization | 18.56 billion USD | 12.63 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | December 2, 2003 | February 21, 1973 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | NRG | PNW |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -43.14% | 24.23% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 31.18% | 18.78% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 25.79% | 15.87% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | NRG | PNW |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 52.51% | 17.21% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.20 | 0.48 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -55.72% | -24.02% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.15M | 1.28M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | NRG | PNW |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.90 | 1.16 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -1.19 | 1.77 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
NRG Energy (NRG) at 23.77% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) at 9.09%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
NRG
Utilities industry group
23.77%
- NRG
- 23.77%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- Median
- 9.44%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
PNW
Utilities industry group
9.09%
- Max
- 17.99%
- Q3
- 12.01%
- Median
- 9.44%
- PNW
- 9.09%
- Q1
- 7.56%
- Min
- 2.17%
Net Margin (TTM)
Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) at 11.59% keeps about the industry-typical share of revenue as profit, while NRG Energy (NRG) at 2.56% retains only a bottom-quartile share.
NRG
Utilities industry group
2.56%
- Max
- 28.78%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- Median
- 12.73%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- NRG
- 2.56%
- Min
- -0.20%
PNW
Utilities industry group
11.59%
- Max
- 28.78%
- Q3
- 17.30%
- Median
- 12.73%
- PNW
- 11.59%
- Q1
- 9.18%
- Min
- -0.20%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) at 31.70% carries a top-quartile operating margin, while NRG Energy (NRG) at 12.77% operates in the bottom quartile.
NRG
Utilities industry group
12.77%
- Max
- 53.83%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- Median
- 23.62%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- NRG
- 12.77%
- Min
- -4.90%
PNW
Utilities industry group
31.70%
- Max
- 53.83%
- PNW
- 31.70%
- Q3
- 31.12%
- Median
- 23.62%
- Q1
- 15.45%
- Min
- -4.90%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | NRG | PNW |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 23.77% | 9.09% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.06% | 2.36% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 2.56% | 11.59% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 12.77% | 31.70% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 18.80% | 43.84% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both NRG Energy (NRG) at 9.18% and Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) at 4.20% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) at -3.63% 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 | NRG | PNW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 9.18% | 4.20% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -0.88% | 7.28% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -19.64% | -3.63% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -8.12% | 5.83% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both NRG Energy (NRG) at 0.97 and Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) at 0.71 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.
NRG
Utilities industry group
0.97
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- NRG
- 0.97
- Median
- 0.88
- Q1
- 0.66
- Min
- 0.29
PNW
Utilities industry group
0.71
- Max
- 1.90
- Q3
- 1.17
- Median
- 0.88
- PNW
- 0.71
- Q1
- 0.66
- Min
- 0.29
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both balance sheets lean debt-heavy versus peers, but NRG is more stretched: Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) at 2.26 sits in the higher-leverage quartile and NRG Energy (NRG) at 4.83 is above its industry benchmark range.
NRG
Utilities industry group
4.83
- NRG
- 4.83
- Max
- 2.63
- Q3
- 1.77
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
PNW
Utilities industry group
2.26
- Max
- 2.63
- PNW
- 2.26
- Q3
- 1.77
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | NRG | PNW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.97 | 0.71 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 4.83 | 2.26 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 7.16 | 7.67 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both NRG Energy (NRG) at 2.32% and Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) at 3.51% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
NRG
Utilities industry group
2.32%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- Median
- 2.85%
- NRG
- 2.32%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
PNW
Utilities industry group
3.51%
- Max
- 6.66%
- Q3
- 3.58%
- PNW
- 3.51%
- Median
- 2.85%
- Q1
- 0.66%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both NRG Energy (NRG) at 47.91% and Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) at 68.42% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
NRG
Utilities industry group
47.91%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- Median
- 56.38%
- NRG
- 47.91%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- Min
- 0.00%
PNW
Utilities industry group
68.42%
- Max
- 113.04%
- Q3
- 68.72%
- PNW
- 68.42%
- Median
- 56.38%
- Q1
- 32.38%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | NRG | PNW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.32% | 3.51% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 47.91% | 68.42% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both NRG Energy (NRG) at 23.11 and Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) at 19.59 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
NRG
Utilities industry group
23.11
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- NRG
- 23.11
- Median
- 19.64
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
PNW
Utilities industry group
19.59
- Max
- 31.22
- Q3
- 23.30
- Median
- 19.64
- PNW
- 19.59
- Q1
- 15.17
- Min
- 3.34
P/S Ratio (TTM)
NRG Energy (NRG) at 0.56 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) at 2.21 prices around its industry’s middle — NRG costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.
NRG
Utilities industry group
0.56
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 2.63
- Q1
- 1.52
- NRG
- 0.56
- Min
- 0.00
PNW
Utilities industry group
2.21
- Max
- 6.35
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 2.63
- PNW
- 2.21
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Pinnacle West Capital (PNW) at 1.69 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while NRG Energy (NRG) at 4.42 prices above its benchmark range — NRG looks rich relative to book.
NRG
Utilities industry group
4.42
- NRG
- 4.42
- Max
- 3.12
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.83
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
PNW
Utilities industry group
1.69
- Max
- 3.12
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.83
- PNW
- 1.69
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.34
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | NRG | PNW |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 23.11 | 19.59 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 0.56 | 2.21 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.42 | 1.69 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 4.16% | -7.90% |