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

Key Points

• NRG Energy, Inc. received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from 14 analysts, with an average 1-year price target of $188.85.
• The company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the last quarter, slightly missing estimates, while revenue was $6.74 billion, beating projections.
• NRG Energy also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.44 per share, equating to an annualized yield of 1.1%, with a payout ratio of 79.64%.

Shares of NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the fourteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $188.8462.

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Melius assumed coverage on shares of NRG Energy in a research report on Wednesday, August 20th. They set a "buy" rating and a $308.00 target price for the company. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of NRG Energy from $133.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 17th. Scotiabank assumed coverage on shares of NRG Energy in a research report on Monday, September 22nd. They set a "sector outperform" rating and a $212.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of NRG Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Finally, Melius Research assumed coverage on shares of NRG Energy in a research report on Wednesday, August 20th. They set a "buy" rating and a $308.00 target price for the company.

Insider Buying and Selling at NRG Energy

In other NRG Energy news, VP Dak Liyanearachchi sold 10,672 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $1,654,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 48,571 shares in the company, valued at $7,528,505. This represents a 18.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.86% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NRG Energy

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Toth Financial Advisory Corp bought a new position in shares of NRG Energy in the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new position in shares of NRG Energy in the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in shares of NRG Energy in the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Key Financial Inc bought a new position in shares of NRG Energy in the first quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of NRG Energy in the second quarter worth $32,000. 97.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

NRG Energy Stock Down 4.5%

NRG opened at $160.66 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $157.20 and a 200-day moving average price of $143.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $31.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 72.70, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.14. NRG Energy has a twelve month low of $79.57 and a twelve month high of $175.96.

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.72 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $6.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.63 billion. NRG Energy had a net margin of 1.78% and a return on equity of 88.22%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.37 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that NRG Energy will post 6.36 earnings per share for the current year.

NRG Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 1st were given a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 1st. NRG Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 79.64%.

About NRG Energy

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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