NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eight brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $134.25.

NRG has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on NRG Energy in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $129.00 target price on the stock. Guggenheim increased their target price on NRG Energy from $138.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on NRG Energy from $86.00 to $99.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Evercore ISI upgraded NRG Energy from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $74.00 to $126.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on NRG Energy from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd.

NRG Energy Stock Up 4.1%

Shares of NYSE:NRG opened at $156.73 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.57. NRG Energy has a 52-week low of $65.11 and a 52-week high of $158.66. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $101.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is $99.67. The company has a market capitalization of $31.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.00.

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 12th. The utilities provider reported $2.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $1.90. NRG Energy had a return on equity of 48.96% and a net margin of 3.43%. The business had revenue of $8.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.28 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.31 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 15.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that NRG Energy will post 6.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

NRG Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 1st will be paid a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 1st. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.12%. NRG Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.92%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NRG Energy

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in NRG Energy during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Key Financial Inc bought a new position in NRG Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of NRG Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Evermay Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of NRG Energy in the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of NRG Energy by 100.4% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 455 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.72% of the company's stock.

NRG Energy Company Profile

NRG Energy, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy and home services company in the United States and Canada. It operates through Texas; East; West/Services/Other; Vivint Smart Home; and Corporate Activities segments. The company produces and sells electricity generated using coal, oil, solar, and battery storage; natural gas; and a cloud-based home platform, including hardware, software, sales, installation, customer service, technical support, and professional monitoring solutions.

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