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

CNP has the lower trailing P/E: CNP trades at 22.48 and NRG at 27.21. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CNP or NRG?

Over the past five years, NRG grew revenue faster — CNP at a 3.85% CAGR versus NRG at 15.13%.

Does CNP or NRG pay a bigger dividend?

CNP yields 2.35% and NRG yields 1.64% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CNP or NRG more profitable?

CNP runs the higher net margin — CNP at 11.61% versus NRG at 2.31%.

How have CNP and NRG total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CNP delivered 8.96% and NRG delivered 28.22% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) vs NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG)

A side-by-side comparison of CenterPoint Energy, Inc. and NRG Energy, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of September 13, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CNP

CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

$25.18B

$38.22UtilitiesDelayed quote: Sep 18, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

NRG

NRG Energy, Inc.

$21.87B

$103.66UtilitiesDelayed quote: Sep 18, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — CNP vs NRG

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

CNP +125.7% (+8.5%/yr)NRG +1064.5% (+27.8%/yr)NRG compounded faster over this window

Log scale — wide-divergence pair

CNP NRG

CNP vs NRG: by the numbers

•CNP is the larger company ($25.18B vs $21.87B market cap).
•CNP trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (22.48 vs 27.21 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•CNP converts more revenue to profit (11.61% vs 2.31% net margin).
•NRG grew revenue faster over the past five years (15.13% vs 3.85% CAGR).
•CNP pays the higher dividend yield (2.35% vs 1.64%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CNP	NRG
P/E ratio	22.48	27.21
Forward P/E	19.99	11.66
P/S ratio	2.62	0.60
P/B ratio	2.15	4.50
EV / EBITDA	12.87	10.79
FCF yield	N/A	1.59%

Profitability

Metric	CNP	NRG
Gross margin	28.71%	16.42%
Operating margin	23.24%	5.38%
Net margin	11.61%	2.31%
ROE	9.53%	17.49%
ROIC	4.14%	5.38%

Dividends

Metric	CNP	NRG
Dividend yield	2.35%	1.64%
Payout ratio	54.12%	48.95%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CNP	NRG
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	3.85%	15.13%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	3.11%	14.48%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	N/A	-22.77%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	11.08%	24.35%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CNP or NRG?: CNP has the lower trailing P/E: CNP trades at 22.48 and NRG at 27.21. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CNP or NRG?: Over the past five years, NRG grew revenue faster — CNP at a 3.85% CAGR versus NRG at 15.13%.
Does CNP or NRG pay a bigger dividend?: CNP yields 2.35% and NRG yields 1.64% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CNP or NRG more profitable?: CNP runs the higher net margin — CNP at 11.61% versus NRG at 2.31%.
How have CNP and NRG total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CNP delivered 8.96% and NRG delivered 28.22% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CNP analysis Full NRG analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

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

CenterPoint Energy & NRG Energy appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Fastest Revenue Growth 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 September 13, 2026.