CNP vs. NRG

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) and NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG).

Performance

CNP vs. NRG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) and NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

CNP vs. NRG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CNP CenterPoint Energy, Inc.	13.43%	23.74%	14.28%	-2.12%	10.00%	32.41%	-17.98%	0.61%	3.70%	19.58%
NRG NRG Energy, Inc.	-5.57%	78.91%	78.58%	69.36%	-23.47%	18.54%	-2.14%	0.69%	39.59%	133.69%

Fundamentals

Market Cap CNP : $28.37B NRG : $29.83B
EPS CNP : $1.61 NRG : $4.39
PE Ratio CNP : 26.94 NRG : 34.12
PB Ratio CNP : 2.54 NRG : 28.93
Total Revenue (TTM) CNP : $0.00 NRG : $0.00
Gross Profit (TTM) CNP : -$4.00M NRG : $0.00
EBITDA (TTM) CNP : $1.87B NRG : $1.80B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CNP achieves a 13.43% return, which is significantly higher than NRG's -5.57% return. Over the past 10 years, CNP has underperformed NRG with an annualized return of 10.90%, while NRG has yielded a comparatively higher 30.57% annualized return.

CNP

• 1D: 0.21%
• 1M: -0.21%
• YTD: 13.43%
• 6M: 14.57%
• 1Y: 20.24%
• 3Y*: 16.66%
• 5Y*: 16.74%
• 10Y*: 10.90%

NRG

• 1D: 2.57%
• 1M: -14.63%
• YTD: -5.57%
• 6M: -6.89%
• 1Y: 54.03%
• 3Y*: 67.36%
• 5Y*: 35.75%
• 10Y*: 30.57%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

CNP vs. NRG — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

CNP

CNP Risk / Return Rank: 77
CNP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 79
CNP Sortino Ratio Rank: 72
CNP Omega Ratio Rank: 69
CNP Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
CNP Martin Ratio Rank: 80

NRG

NRG Risk / Return Rank: 76
NRG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
NRG Sortino Ratio Rank: 72
NRG Omega Ratio Rank: 72
NRG Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
NRG Martin Ratio Rank: 80

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

CNP vs. NRG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) and NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	CNP	NRG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.26	1.02	+0.24
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.77	1.71	+0.06
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.22	1.23	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.64	2.54	+0.10
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.33	6.05	+0.28
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CNP vs. NRG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CNP Sharpe Ratio is 1.26, which is comparable to the NRG Sharpe Ratio of 1.02. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CNP and NRG, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CNP	NRG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.26	1.02	+0.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.86	0.92	-0.06
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.42	0.79	-0.36
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.18	0.38	-0.20

Correlation

The correlation between CNP and NRG is 0.39, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

CNP vs. NRG - Dividend Comparison

CNP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.06%, more than NRG's 1.20% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CNP CenterPoint Energy, Inc.	2.06%	2.30%	2.55%	2.70%	2.33%	2.33%	3.42%	4.22%	3.93%	3.77%	4.18%	5.39%
NRG NRG Energy, Inc.	1.20%	1.11%	1.81%	2.92%	4.40%	3.02%	3.20%	0.30%	0.30%	0.42%	1.92%	4.93%

Drawdowns

CNP vs. NRG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CNP drawdown since its inception was -89.94%, which is greater than NRG's maximum drawdown of -79.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CNP and NRG.

Drawdown Indicators

	CNP	NRG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-89.94%	-79.41%	-10.53%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.39%	-23.26%	+14.87%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.81%	-32.62%	+9.81%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-59.80%	-48.76%	-11.04%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.02%	-18.55%	+16.53%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-32.44%	-28.06%	-4.38%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.50%	9.75%	-6.25%

Volatility

CNP vs. NRG - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) is 4.82%, while NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) has a volatility of 15.32%. This indicates that CNP experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than NRG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CNP	NRG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.82%	15.32%	-10.50%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.78%	32.27%	-21.49%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.16%	53.38%	-37.22%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.62%	39.08%	-19.46%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.83%	39.02%	-13.19%

Financials

CNP vs. NRG - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between CenterPoint Energy, Inc. and NRG Energy, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

CNP - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. reported a gross profit of -2.73B and revenue of -6.85B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 39.9%.

NRG - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, NRG Energy, Inc. reported a gross profit of -4.17B and revenue of -22.96B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 18.2%.

CNP - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. reported an operating income of 542.00M and revenue of -6.85B, resulting in an operating margin of -7.9%.

NRG - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, NRG Energy, Inc. reported an operating income of 246.00M and revenue of -22.96B, resulting in an operating margin of -1.1%.

CNP - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. reported a net income of 264.00M and revenue of -6.85B, resulting in a net margin of -3.9%.

NRG - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, NRG Energy, Inc. reported a net income of 66.00M and revenue of -22.96B, resulting in a net margin of -0.3%.