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Is It Time To Consider Buying NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG)?

NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) saw a decent share price growth of 18% on the NYSE over the last few months. Shareholders may appreciate the recent price jump, but the company still has a way to go before reaching its yearly highs again. As a large-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the company’s outlook is already priced into the stock. However, what if the stock is still a bargain? Let’s examine NRG Energy’s valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if there’s still a bargain opportunity.

See our latest analysis for NRG Energy

What's The Opportunity In NRG Energy?

Great news for investors – NRG Energy is still trading at a fairly cheap price according to our price multiple model, where we compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. In this instance, we’ve used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stock’s cash flows. we find that NRG Energy’s ratio of 10.29x is below its peer average of 17.12x, which indicates the stock is trading at a lower price compared to the Electric Utilities industry. What’s more interesting is that, NRG Energy’s share price is quite volatile, which gives us more chances to buy since the share price could sink lower (or rise higher) in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market.

What kind of growth will NRG Energy generate?

earnings-and-revenue-growth
earnings-and-revenue-growth

Future outlook is an important aspect when you’re looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so let’s also take a look at the company's future expectations. However, with an extremely negative double-digit change in profit expected over the next couple of years, near-term growth is certainly not a driver of a buy decision. It seems like high uncertainty is on the cards for NRG Energy, at least in the near future.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Although NRG is currently trading below the industry PE ratio, the adverse prospect of negative growth brings about some degree of risk. We recommend you think about whether you want to increase your portfolio exposure to NRG, or whether diversifying into another stock may be a better move for your total risk and return.

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Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on NRG for a while, but hesitant on making the leap, we recommend you dig deeper into the stock. Given its current price multiple, now is a great time to make a decision. But keep in mind the risks that come with negative growth prospects in the future.

So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for NRG Energy you should be mindful of and 2 of these are a bit concerning.

If you are no longer interested in NRG Energy, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com