AES Corp vs Home Depot Inc — how do they compare? AES Corp trades at $14.66 (market cap $10.51B), while Home Depot Inc trades at $354.5 (market cap $349.77B). The key difference: Home Depot Inc is far larger — about 33.3× AES Corp's market cap, and AES Corp pays the higher dividend (4.78%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AES | HD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.51B | $349.77B |
Sector | Utilities | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $17.28 | $423.42 |
52-Week Low | $12.51 | $297.51 |
Enterprise Value | $40.77B | $411.32B |
Dividend Yield | 4.78% | 2.66% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
AES trades at $14.73, up 0.2% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The company reported strong profitability with a net income margin of 14.34% and ROE of 45.05% for 2025, though Q2 2026 EPS missed expectations. A pending $33.4 billion acquisition by a consortium led by Global Infrastructure Partners and EQT, approved by stockholders, dominates recent developments, alongside a consistent dividend payout.
The acquisition offers a near-term catalyst with a capped upside at the buyout price of $15 per share, presenting a low-risk arbitrage opportunity. Risks include deal completion uncertainty amid shareholder complaints and regulatory scrutiny. Analyst consensus is mixed with 43% buy ratings, reflecting cautious optimism tied to the acquisition's successful closure and the company's strategic shift toward renewable energy investments.
Home Depot (HD) trades at $350.78, down 1.36% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and strong institutional support. The company reported $159.51B in 2025 revenue with solid profitability metrics including 8.41% net income margin and 128.38% ROE. Recent earnings show mixed results with Q2 2026 expectations set at $4.73 EPS. The stock faces headwinds from weakening big-ticket demand and rising mortgage rates, but maintains strong analyst support with 59% buy ratings.
Home Depot presents a compelling long-term investment case with stable fundamentals and professional segment growth potential, though near-term challenges include housing market sensitivity and margin pressure. The consensus price target of $368.75 suggests 5.1% upside potential from current levels, supported by strong cash flow generation and dividend payments. Key risks include consumer spending volatility and competitive pressures in the home improvement sector.
Trailing returns across standard periods
AES is a global power company operating across 14 countries and 4 continents. Its current generation portfolio as of year-end 2021 consists of over 31 gigawatts of generation, with the generation mix composed of renewables (43%), gas (32%), coal (23%), and oil (2%). The company has 3.5 gigawatts of generation under construction. AES has majority ownership and operates six electric utilities distributing power to 2.6 million customers.
Read more on AES →Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, operating more than 2,300 warehouse-format stores offering more than 30,000 products in store and 1 million products online in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its stores offer numerous building materials, home improvement products, lawn and garden products, and decor products and provide various services, including home improvement installation services and tool and equipment rentals. The acquisition of distributor Interline Brands in 2015 allowed Home Depot to enter the maintenance, repair, and operations business, which has been expanded through the tie-up with HD Supply (2020). The addition of the Company Store brought textile exposure to Home Depot's lineup.
Read more on HD →