Which has the lower trailing P/E, AWK or NRG?

AWK has the lower trailing P/E: AWK trades at 23.19 and NRG at 30.72. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, AWK or NRG?

Over the past five years, NRG grew revenue faster — AWK at a 6.32% CAGR versus NRG at 15.13%.

Does AWK or NRG pay a bigger dividend?

AWK yields 2.52% and NRG yields 1.56% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is AWK or NRG more profitable?

AWK runs the higher net margin — AWK at 21.35% versus NRG at 2.31%.

How have AWK and NRG total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, AWK delivered 7.31% and NRG delivered 26.43% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) vs NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG)

A side-by-side comparison of American Water Works Company, Inc. and NRG Energy, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of August 5, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

AWK

American Water Works Company, Inc.

$26.41B

$132.88UtilitiesDelayed quote: Aug 5, 2026, 10:50 AM EDT

NRG

NRG Energy, Inc.

$25.07B

$118.81UtilitiesDelayed quote: Aug 5, 2026, 10:50 AM EDT

Total return — AWK vs NRG

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 18y

AWK +912.7%NRG +251.4%AWK compounded faster

AWK NRG

AWK vs NRG: by the numbers

•AWK is the larger company ($26.41B vs $25.07B market cap).
•AWK trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (23.19 vs 30.72 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•AWK converts more revenue to profit (21.35% vs 2.31% net margin).
•NRG grew revenue faster over the past five years (15.13% vs 6.32% CAGR).
•AWK pays the higher dividend yield (2.52% vs 1.56%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	AWK	NRG
P/E ratio	23.19	30.72
Forward P/E	22.05	12.71
P/S ratio	4.97	0.67
P/B ratio	2.25	5.06
PEG ratio	3.98	2.12
EV / EBITDA	14.67	11.43
FCF yield	N/A	1.42%

Profitability

Metric	AWK	NRG
Gross margin	44.38%	16.42%
Operating margin	36.94%	5.38%
Net margin	21.35%	2.31%
ROE	9.67%	17.49%
ROIC	4.21%	7.00%

Dividends

Metric	AWK	NRG
Dividend yield	2.52%	1.56%
Payout ratio	59.25%	44.74%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AWK	NRG
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.32%	15.13%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	7.78%	14.48%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	N/A	-22.77%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-3.35%	26.16%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, AWK or NRG?: AWK has the lower trailing P/E: AWK trades at 23.19 and NRG at 30.72. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, AWK or NRG?: Over the past five years, NRG grew revenue faster — AWK at a 6.32% CAGR versus NRG at 15.13%.
Does AWK or NRG pay a bigger dividend?: AWK yields 2.52% and NRG yields 1.56% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is AWK or NRG more profitable?: AWK runs the higher net margin — AWK at 21.35% versus NRG at 2.31%.
How have AWK and NRG total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, AWK delivered 7.31% and NRG delivered 26.43% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AWK analysis Full NRG analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

American Water Works P/E ratio NRG Energy P/E ratio American Water Works dividend yield NRG Energy dividend yield American Water Works ROE NRG Energy ROE American Water Works operating margin NRG Energy operating margin American Water Works revenue growth NRG Energy revenue growth American Water Works free cash flow NRG Energy free cash flow

American Water Works & NRG Energy appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Fastest Revenue Growth Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks Highest 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified August 5, 2026.