CNP vs. NRG

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

CNP (CenterPoint Energy, Inc.) and NRG (NRG Energy, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Utilities sector — CNP in Utilities - Regulated Gas, NRG in Utilities - Independent Power Producers. Over the past 10 years, CNP returned 9.59%/yr vs 25.16%/yr for NRG. At a 0.39 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

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.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CNP achieves a 10.04% return, which is significantly higher than NRG's -15.64% return. Over the past 10 years, CNP has underperformed NRG with an annualized return of 9.59%, while NRG has yielded a comparatively higher 25.16% annualized return.

CNP

• 1D: 1.07%
• 1M: -3.21%
• YTD: 10.04%
• 6M: 10.01%
• 1Y: 13.94%
• 3Y*: 16.38%
• 5Y*: 13.27%
• 10Y*: 9.59%

NRG

• 1D: 3.12%
• 1M: -12.95%
• YTD: -15.64%
• 6M: -18.13%
• 1Y: -14.80%
• 3Y*: 62.17%
• 5Y*: 34.85%
• 10Y*: 25.16%

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

CNP vs. NRG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CNP CenterPoint Energy, Inc.	10.04%	23.74%	14.28%	-2.12%	10.00%	32.41%	-17.98%	0.61%	3.70%	19.58%
NRG NRG Energy, Inc.	-15.64%	78.91%	78.58%	69.36%	-23.47%	18.54%	-2.14%	0.69%	39.59%	133.69%

Correlation

The correlation between CNP and NRG is 0.19, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.19
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.23
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.31
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.35
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 3, 2003	0.39

Over the past year, the correlation between CNP and NRG has dropped to 0.19 - well below their long-term average of 0.39, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap CNP : $27.50B NRG : $27.77B
EPS CNP : $1.63 NRG : $1.21
PE Ratio CNP : 25.57 NRG : 110.24
PS Ratio CNP : 2.91 NRG : 0.81
PB Ratio CNP : 2.40 NRG : 6.57
Total Revenue (TTM) CNP : $9.41B NRG : $32.38B
Gross Profit (TTM) CNP : $3.89B NRG : $4.69B
EBITDA (TTM) CNP : $3.81B NRG : $2.57B

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: 67
CNP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
CNP Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
CNP Omega Ratio Rank: 57
CNP Calmar Ratio Rank: 76
CNP Martin Ratio Rank: 75

NRG

NRG Risk / Return Rank: 24
NRG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 26
NRG Sortino Ratio Rank: 26
NRG Omega Ratio Rank: 25
NRG Calmar Ratio Rank: 26
NRG Martin Ratio Rank: 18

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	0.87	-0.33	+1.21
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.28	-0.18	+1.46
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	0.98	+0.18
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.19	-0.41	+2.60
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.05	-1.06	+6.10
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 0.87, which is higher than the NRG Sharpe Ratio of -0.33. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CNP and NRG, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CNP	NRG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.87	-0.33	+1.21
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.68	0.88	-0.20
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.37	0.64	-0.27
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.18	0.36	-0.18

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	-6.67%	-32.57%	+25.90%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-18.14%	-32.57%	+14.43%
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	-4.94%	-27.23%	+22.29%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-32.35%	-28.00%	-4.35%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.89%	12.68%	-9.79%

Volatility

CNP vs. NRG - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) is 5.98%, while NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) has a volatility of 15.33%. 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	5.98%	15.33%	-9.35%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.35%	34.42%	-22.07%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.06%	44.37%	-28.31%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.68%	39.97%	-20.29%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.87%	39.29%	-13.42%

Dividends

CNP vs. NRG - Dividend Comparison

CNP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.16%, more than NRG's 1.37% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CNP CenterPoint Energy, Inc.	2.16%	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.	1.37%	1.11%	1.81%	2.92%	4.40%	3.02%	3.20%	0.30%	0.30%	0.42%	1.92%	4.93%

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 Jun 2026, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. reported a gross profit of 2.00B and revenue of 2.98B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 67.4%.

NRG - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, NRG Energy, Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 10.26B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

CNP - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. reported an operating income of 658.00M and revenue of 2.98B, resulting in an operating margin of 22.1%.

NRG - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, NRG Energy, Inc. reported an operating income of 328.00M and revenue of 10.26B, resulting in an operating margin of 3.2%.

CNP - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. reported a net income of 316.00M and revenue of 2.98B, resulting in a net margin of 10.6%.

NRG - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, NRG Energy, Inc. reported a net income of 125.00M and revenue of 10.26B, resulting in a net margin of 1.2%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both CNP and NRG in my portfolio?

CNP and NRG have a correlation of 0.19, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, CNP or NRG?

NRG has higher volatility (15.33%) compared to CNP (5.98%). In terms of maximum drawdown, CNP dropped -89.94% vs NRG's -79.41%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

CNP currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.87 vs -0.33), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.