NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) Price Target Cut to $159.00 by Analysts at Morgan Stanley

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) had its price target reduced by equities research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $162.00 to $159.00 in a report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the utilities provider’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 52.06% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on NRG. Weiss Ratings upgraded NRG Energy from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $195.00 price target on shares of NRG Energy in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $214.00 price target on shares of NRG Energy in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $221.00 price objective on NRG Energy in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Scotiabank lowered their price objective on NRG Energy from $226.00 to $211.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $198.21.

NRG Energy Stock Down 1.6%

NRG traded down $1.67 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $104.56. 1,021,851 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,690,080. The firm has a market cap of $22.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.63 and a beta of 1.18. NRG Energy has a 12-month low of $103.85 and a 12-month high of $189.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.17. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $122.04 and a 200 day moving average of $137.39.

NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.69 by ($0.20). The business had revenue of $7.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.31 billion. NRG Energy had a net margin of 2.56% and a return on equity of 52.95%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.73 EPS. NRG Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.900-9.900 EPS. Analysts predict that NRG Energy will post 8.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Gerald Alfred Spencer sold 1,580 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.93, for a total transaction of $191,069.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 6,213 shares in the company, valued at $751,338.09. This represents a 20.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.43% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of NRG Energy during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Core Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in NRG Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. EMC Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of NRG Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in NRG Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of NRG Energy by 50.0% during the 1st quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC now owns 219 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the period. 97.72% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NRG Energy Company Profile

NRG Energy, Inc is a North American energy and home services company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company operates through power generation and energy retail businesses, supplying electricity and related services to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

NRG owns and operates a diverse portfolio of power-generation assets, including natural gas, coal, nuclear and renewable facilities. It also sells electricity and natural gas through brands such as Reliant, Direct Energy and Green Mountain Energy, with retail operations serving customers in competitive energy markets across the United States and Canada.

In addition to its energy operations, NRG provides smart-home, security and related connected-home services through its Vivint business.