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NRG Energy to Post Q1 Earnings: What to Expect From the Stock?

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Key Takeaways

  • NRG is set to report Q1 results on May 6, with revenue expected to rise 20.7% year over year.
  • NRG doubled its generation capacity above 25 GW through the LS Power asset and C Power acquisitions.
  • NRG may benefit from customer growth and data center demand, despite higher finance expenses.

NRG Energy (NRG - Free Report) is scheduled to release first-quarter  2026 results on May 6, before the market opens. The company delivered an earnings surprise of 1.98% in the last-reported quarter.

Let’s discuss the factors that are likely to be reflected in the upcoming quarterly results.

NRG’s Q1 Expectations

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.65 per share, which implies a year-over-year decrease of 37.02%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pinned at $10.36 billion, indicating an increase of 20.70% from the year-ago reported number.

Factors Likely to Have Impacted NRG’s Q1 Earnings

NRG Energy’s first-quarter earnings are likely to have benefited from synergies coming from its strategic asset acquisition. The company completed the acquisition of a portfolio of generation assets and C Power from LS Power, adding 18 gas plants and doubling NRG’s generation capacity to more than 25 gigawatts. The acquisitions strengthen grid reliability, support load growth and are likely to have positively impacted first-quarter earnings.

NRG is expected to have benefited from an increase in load growth driven by an expanding customer base and a rise in data center demand. These factors are likely to have supported revenue growth and acted as a tailwind to the earnings to be reported.

The company’s systematic capital allocation, along with strong free cash flow, is likely to have allowed it to repurchase shares. This reduces outstanding shares and is likely to boost the earnings per share in the first quarter.

However, a rise in finance expenses following the LS Power acquisition may have weighed on some positives.

What Our Quantitative Model Predicts for NRG

Our proven model does not predict an earnings beat for NRG Energy this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here as you will see below.

Earnings ESP: The company’s Earnings ESP is 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: Currently, NRG Energy carries a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

NRG Energy, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

NRG Energy, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

NRG Energy, Inc. price-eps-surprise | NRG Energy, Inc. Quote

Stock to Consider

Investors may also consider the following player from the same industry, as it has the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this reporting cycle.

Duke Energy Corporation (DUK - Free Report) is scheduled to report first-quarter results on May 5 and is likely to have registered an earnings beat. It has an Earnings ESP of +1.31% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.

DUK has a dividend yield of 3.31%.  The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter EPS is pinned at $1.79, which implies a year-over-year increase of 1.70%.

Ameren Corporation (AEE - Free Report) is set to report first-quarter results on May 6 and is likely to have come up with an earnings beat. It has an Earnings ESP of +1.29% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.

AEE’s long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate is 9.27%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter EPS is pinned at $1.17, which implies a year-over-year increase of 9.35%.

PPL Corporation (PPL - Free Report) is set to report first-quarter results on May 8 and is likely to have come up with an earnings beat. It has an Earnings ESP of +0.41% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.

PPL’s long-term earnings growth rate is 7.52%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter EPS is pinned at 61 cents, which implies a year-over-year increase of 1.67%.

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