Aspen Aerogels Inc vs NRG Energy Inc — how do they compare? Aspen Aerogels Inc trades at $5.1 (market cap $427.65M), while NRG Energy Inc trades at $138.63 (market cap $29.63B). The key difference: NRG Energy Inc is far larger — about 69.3× Aspen Aerogels Inc's market cap, and NRG Energy Inc pays a 1.35% dividend while Aspen Aerogels Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ASPN | NRG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $427.65M | $29.63B |
Sector | Technology | Utilities |
52-Week High | $8.82 | $184.03 |
52-Week Low | $2.57 | $120.65 |
Enterprise Value | $382.60M | $53.46B |
Dividend Yield | — | 1.35% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ASPN trades at $5.16, down 1.53% on the day, with a bearish technical signal despite oversold RSI readings. The company reported a Q1 2026 loss of $0.28 per share, missing estimates, but revenue beat expectations. Recent news includes a 2025 Supplier of the Year award from General Motors and the staged restart of its East Providence facility. Financials show significant net losses but improving cash flow trends into 2026.
Outlook remains challenging with persistent losses and negative margins, though analyst consensus is strongly bullish (83% buy ratings). Key risks include execution on facility restarts and EV demand volatility. The stock offers high-risk growth potential if operational improvements and electrification trends accelerate profitability.
NRG Energy trades at $140.42, down 0.04% on the day, with a neutral technical signal and bullish moving averages. The stock shows strong analyst support with 64% buy ratings, but faces high valuation with a P/E of 154.31 and modest net income margin of 0.74%. Recent earnings beat expectations in Q3 and Q4 2025, but missed in Q1 2026, with Q2 2026 results pending. Cash flow from operations was $1.91 billion in 2025, though debt levels have risen significantly.
Outlook is mixed: robust revenue growth and strategic initiatives like the smart home segment offer upside, but elevated debt and margin pressures pose risks. The stock's performance hinges on upcoming Q2 earnings and execution on EBITDA guidance of $5.325–$5.825 billion for 2026.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Aspen Aerogels is an aerogel technology company that designs high-performance insulation. Its products are used in energy infrastructure and electric vehicles to provide thermal management and fire protection.
Read more on ASPN →NRG Energy is one of the largest retail energy providers in the U.S., with 7 million customers, including its 2021 acquisition of Direct Energy. It also is one of the largest U.S. independent power producers, with 16 gigawatts of nuclear, coal, gas, and oil power generation capacity primarily in Texas. Since 2018, NRG has divested its 47% stake in NRG Yield, among other renewable energy and conventional generation investments. NRG exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a stand-alone entity in December 2003.
Read more on NRG →