NRG Energy Inc vs Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF — how do they compare? NRG Energy Inc trades at $116.91 (market cap $25.15B), while Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF trades at $74.1. The key difference: NRG Energy Inc pays a 1.59% dividend while Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF pays none, and Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, NRG Energy Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NRG | SPLV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $25.15B | — |
Sector | Utilities | — |
52-Week High | $184.03 | $77.97 |
52-Week Low | $109.51 | $70.30 |
Enterprise Value | $49.10B | — |
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.
SPLV, the Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF, trades at $74.55, down 0.25% on the day, with a bearish technical signal driven by moving averages. The ETF has underperformed the S&P 500, returning 5% versus 17%, due to sector overweights in Utilities, Real Estate, and Financials. Recent news highlights its role as a stability-focused option amid market volatility, with dividends scheduled for mid-2026.
The outlook for SPLV is neutral to cautious, offering defensive exposure but facing headwinds from unappealing growth-adjusted valuations and sector concentration risks. Investment appeal hinges on market volatility trends, while risks include prolonged underperformance if low-volatility sectors lag in a growth-oriented market.
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 →The fund generally will invest at least 90% of its total assets in the securities that comprise the underlying index. Strictly in accordance with its guidelines and mandated procedures, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (the "index Provider") compiles, maintains and calculates the underlying index, which is designed to measure the performance of the 100 least volatile constituents of the S&P 500 ® Index over the past 12 months as determined by the index Provider.
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