AES Corp vs iShares Core High Dividend ETF — how do they compare? AES Corp trades at $14.72 (market cap $10.51B), while iShares Core High Dividend ETF trades at $29.08. The key difference: AES Corp pays a 4.78% dividend while iShares Core High Dividend ETF pays none, and iShares Core High Dividend ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, AES Corp nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AES | HDV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.51B | — |
Sector | Utilities | — |
52-Week High | $17.28 | $29.14 |
52-Week Low | $12.51 | $23.64 |
Enterprise Value | $40.77B | — |
Dividend Yield | 4.78% | — |
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.
HDV trades at $28.78, up 0.21% with a bullish technical signal. It yields approximately 3.1% from dividends, with recent payouts in June and July 2026. The ETF focuses on high-quality U.S. large-cap dividend stocks, outperforming the S&P 500 year-to-date by 9 percentage points. News highlights its appeal for retirement income and institutional buying, such as 180 Wealth Advisors increasing its stake by 386.2% in Q2 2026.
The outlook is positive due to strong dividend sustainability and defensive sector weighting, but risks include interest rate sensitivity and concentrated holdings. Analysts favor HDV for income-focused portfolios, citing its quality screening and lower volatility.
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 →The fund generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its underlying index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its underlying index. The underlying index is comprised of qualified income paying securities that are screened for superior company quality and financial health as determined by Morningstar, Inc.'s proprietary index methodology. The fund is non-diversified.
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