NRG Energy Inc vs Riot Platforms Inc — how do they compare? NRG Energy Inc trades at $116.75 (market cap $25.15B), while Riot Platforms Inc trades at $21.85 (market cap $8.35B). The key difference: NRG Energy Inc is far larger — about 3× Riot Platforms Inc's market cap, and NRG Energy Inc pays a 1.59% dividend while Riot Platforms Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NRG | RIOT | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $25.15B | $8.35B |
Sector | Utilities | Technology |
52-Week High | $184.03 | $28.67 |
52-Week Low | $109.51 | $11.83 |
Enterprise Value | $49.10B | $8.76B |
Dividend Yield | 1.59% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
NRG Energy trades at $119.64, up 0.52% with a bullish technical signal despite recent earnings misses. The stock shows strong profitability metrics including 26.77% ROE and 2.56% net margin, supported by $30.71B revenue in 2025. Recent developments include a transformative 1.2 GW Texas data-center power project and LS Power acquisition, driving long-term growth expectations. Cash flow trends show volatility with 2025 net cash flow of $3.83B followed by projected 2026 outflow of -$264M.
Wall Street maintains strong bullish sentiment with 69% buy ratings and $201.29 consensus target, representing 68% upside. Key risks include rising interest costs impacting earnings, elevated debt levels at 56.42% debt-to-asset ratio, and execution challenges with major capital projects. The data center expansion strategy offers significant growth potential but requires careful monitoring of capex and leverage management.
RIOT Platforms trades at $22.26, up 2.11% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The stock shows strong analyst support with 94.7% buy ratings and a $33 consensus price target. Recent news highlights a transformative $9.1 billion AI data center deal with Anthropic, shifting focus from Bitcoin mining to high-margin AI infrastructure. However, fundamental challenges persist with negative net income margins and consecutive earnings misses.
The outlook balances significant AI-driven growth potential against current profitability concerns. The Anthropic partnership provides long-term revenue visibility but execution risks remain. With the stock trading near analyst price targets, upside depends on successful AI transition and improved financial performance. Key risks include competitive pressures, regulatory uncertainty, and continued cash flow challenges.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Riot Platforms, Inc. is a Bitcoin mining company that focuses on building, operating, and expanding large-scale infrastructure for digital asset mining in North America. The company's operations include Bitcoin mining, data center hosting, and engineering solutions. Riot's strategy emphasizes vertical integration to maximize efficiency and scale its mining capacity, aiming to be a leader in the global Bitcoin and digital infrastructure industry.
Read more on RIOT →