Southwest Airlines Co vs NRG Energy Inc — how do they compare? Southwest Airlines Co trades at $45.21 (market cap $21.97B), while NRG Energy Inc trades at $120.85 (market cap $24.83B). The key difference: Southwest Airlines Co and NRG Energy Inc are close in size by market cap, and NRG Energy Inc pays the higher dividend (1.61%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LUV | NRG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $21.97B | $24.83B |
Sector | Industrials | Utilities |
52-Week High | $54.80 | $184.03 |
52-Week Low | $29.67 | $117.04 |
Enterprise Value | $25.06B | $48.79B |
Dividend Yield | 1.6% | 1.61% |
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NRG Energy trades at $118.13, down 0.77% on the day, with a bearish technical signal and recent earnings misses in Q1 and Q2 2026. The company reported Q2 2026 adjusted EBITDA of $1.2 billion, up 34% year-over-year, and is advancing a 1.2-GW Texas data-center power project to drive growth. Valuation metrics show a P/E of 30.76 and P/S of 0.72, with a net income margin of 2.56% for 2025.
The outlook is mixed: strong analyst consensus (69% buy ratings) and a $207.83 price target suggest upside, but technical weakness, rising debt, and execution risks on new projects pose challenges. Revenue growth to $33.1B in 2026 and strategic investments in data center demand support long-term potential, though interest costs and leverage require monitoring.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Southwest Airlines is the largest domestic carrier in the United States, as measured by the number of originating passengers boarded. Southwest operates over 700 aircraft in an all-Boeing 737 fleet. Despite expanding into longer routes and business travel, the airline still specializes in short-haul leisure flights, using a point-to-point network. Southwest operates a low-cost carrier business model.
Read more on LUV →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 →