AES Corp vs VNET Group Inc — how do they compare? AES Corp trades at $14.66 (market cap $10.51B), while VNET Group Inc trades at $7.53 (market cap $2.13B). The key difference: AES Corp is far larger — about 4.9× VNET Group Inc's market cap, and AES Corp pays a 4.78% dividend while VNET Group Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AES | VNET | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.51B | $2.13B |
Sector | Utilities | Technology |
52-Week High | $17.28 | $14.03 |
52-Week Low | $12.51 | $6.29 |
Enterprise Value | $40.77B | $5.28B |
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.
VNET trades at $7.33, up 4.56% in the last 24 hours, but technical indicators signal a bearish trend with RSI near overbought levels. The company reported a net loss of $256.77 million in 2025, with negative profit margins and ROE, though revenue grew to $9.95 billion. Recent news highlights strategic investor entry and AI-driven demand boosting wholesale data center growth, with Q2 2026 earnings due August 18, 2026.
The outlook remains mixed: analyst consensus is 62.5% buy with a 54% upside target, but persistent losses and high debt-to-asset ratio pose risks. Investment opportunity hinges on execution of capacity expansions and AI demand, while volatility from options trading and legal settlements adds uncertainty.
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 →VNET Group, formerly 21Vianet, is a leading carrier-neutral data center services provider in China. It operates a dual-core strategy: a large-scale retail business serving over 7,000 enterprise customers and an aggressive wholesale segment (Hyperscale 2.0) designed to meet the high-density power and cooling demands of large-scale AI and cloud platforms.
Read more on VNET →