Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQN) vs AXIA Energia S.A. (AXIA) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | AXIA | 0.2% revenue growth vs AQN's -3.5% |
| Value | AXIA | Lower P/E (1.3x vs 19.2x) |
| Quality / Margins | AXIA | -1.8% net margin vs AQN's -57.7% |
| Stability / Safety | AXIA | Lower D/E ratio (64.1% vs 108.4%) |
| Dividends | AQN | 5.6% yield, vs AXIA's 0.2% |
| Momentum (1Y) | AQN | +51.5% vs AXIA's +26.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AXIA | -0.2% ROA vs AQN's -10.0%, ROIC 1.2% vs 2.5% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Algonquin Power & Utilities is a diversified utility company that operates both regulated utilities and renewable energy generation assets. It generates revenue through regulated utility services — primarily electric, natural gas, and water distribution — and through selling electricity from its renewable portfolio of hydro, wind, and solar facilities. The company benefits from stable cash flows from its regulated utility operations while capitalizing on growth opportunities in renewable energy development.
AXIA Energia is a Brazilian electric utility that generates, transmits, and sells electricity across Brazil. It earns revenue primarily from electricity sales to distributors and large consumers — with generation contributing roughly 70% and transmission about 30% of total revenue. The company's key advantage is its massive hydroelectric portfolio — Brazil's largest — which provides low-cost, renewable baseload power and significant operational scale.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
AQN leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). AXIA leads in 1 (Total Returns). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AXIA is the larger business by revenue, generating $26.1B annually — 11.0x AQN's $2.4B. AXIA is the more profitable business, keeping -1.8% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AQN's -57.7%. On growth, AQN holds the edge at +2.4% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | AQNAlgonquin Power &… | AXIAAXIA Energia S.A. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.4B | $26.1B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $792M | $5.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$1.4B | -$479M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $2.6B | $1.7B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +65.1% | +50.7% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +19.4% | +19.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -57.7% | -1.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +109.0% | +6.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +2.4% | -83.4% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -89.3% | -114.1% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, AQN's 13.0x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than AXIA's 52.8x.
| Metric | AQNAlgonquin Power &… | AXIAAXIA Energia S.A. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $5.4B | $23.9B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $12.0B | $33.9B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -3.86x | 74.24x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 19.20x | 1.34x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.83x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 13.03x | 52.85x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.31x | 16.53x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.83x | 1.01x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 178.31x |
Profitability & Efficiency
AXIA delivers a -0.4% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-0 in annual profit, vs $-27 for AQN. AXIA carries lower financial leverage with a 0.64x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to AQN's 1.08x.
| Metric | AQNAlgonquin Power &… | AXIAAXIA Energia S.A. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -26.7% | -0.4% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -10.0% | -0.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +2.5% | +1.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +2.8% | +1.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.08x | 0.64x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $6.7B | $51.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $35M | $26.6B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $6.7B | $78.2B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 1.29x | 1.41x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AXIA five years ago would be worth $13,122 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,015 for AQN. Over the past 12 months, AQN leads with a +51.5% total return vs AXIA's +26.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AXIA at 8.7% vs AQN's 2.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | AQNAlgonquin Power &… | AXIAAXIA Energia S.A. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +14.1% | +30.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +51.5% | +26.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +6.0% | +28.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -39.8% | +31.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +55.5% | -92.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +2.0% | +8.7% |
Risk & Volatility
| Metric | AQNAlgonquin Power &… | AXIAAXIA Energia S.A. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.44x | — |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $7.11 | $12.66 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $4.29 | $7.06 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +98.2% | +95.4% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 68.6 | 67.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4.0M | 1.6M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates AQN as "Hold" and AXIA as "Buy". For income investors, AQN offers the higher dividend yield at 5.58% vs AXIA's 0.17%.
| Metric | AQNAlgonquin Power &… | AXIAAXIA Energia S.A. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $7.00 | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 12 | 5 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +5.6% | +0.2% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.39 | $0.11 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.1% | +0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQN) | $741M | $2.3B | +213.2% |
| AXIA Energia S.A. (AXIA) | $8.1B | $7.5B | -8.3% |
Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.'s revenue grew from $741M (2015) to $2.3B (2024) — a 13.5% CAGR. AXIA Energia S.A.'s revenue grew from $8.1B (2015) to $7.5B (2024) — a -1.0% CAGR.
Chart 2Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQN) | 11.4% | -59.5% | -620.7% |
| AXIA Energia S.A. (AXIA) | -53.2% | 25.8% | +148.5% |
Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.'s net margin went from 11% (2015) to -60% (2024). AXIA Energia S.A.'s net margin went from -53% (2015) to 26% (2024).
Chart 3P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQN) | 30.2 | 210.7 | +597.7% |
| AXIA Energia S.A. (AXIA) | 6.5 | 20.7 | +218.5% |
Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. has traded in a 12x–211x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~-4x. AXIA Energia S.A. has traded in a 7x–26x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~74x.
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQN) | 0.3 | -1.81 | -703.3% |
| AXIA Energia S.A. (AXIA) | -3.2 | 0.84 | +126.3% |
Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.'s EPS grew from $0.30 (2015) to $-1.81 (2024) — a NaN% CAGR. AXIA Energia S.A.'s EPS grew from $-3.20 (2015) to $0.84 (2024).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. generated $-391M FCF in 2024 (+67% vs 2021). AXIA Energia S.A. generated $691M FCF in 2024 (-53% vs 2021).
AQN vs AXIA: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is AQN or AXIA a better buy right now?
AXIA Energia S.A. (AXIA) offers the better valuation at 74.2x trailing P/E (1.3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate AXIA Energia S.A. (AXIA) a "Buy" — based on 5 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — AQN or AXIA?
On forward P/E, AXIA Energia S.A. is actually cheaper at 1.3x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — AQN or AXIA?
Over the past 5 years, AXIA Energia S.A. (AXIA) delivered a total return of +31.2%, compared to -39.8% for Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQN). A $10,000 investment in AXIA five years ago would be worth approximately $13K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AQN returned +55.5% versus AXIA's -92.7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — AQN or AXIA?
On balance sheet safety, AXIA Energia S.A. (AXIA) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 64% versus 108% for Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — AQN or AXIA?
AXIA Energia S.A. (AXIA) is the more profitable company, earning 25.8% net margin versus -59.5% for Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. — meaning it keeps 25.8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AXIA leads at 34.5% versus 19.2% for AQN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AQN leads at 74.4%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is AQN or AXIA more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, AXIA Energia S.A. (AXIA) trades at 1.3x forward P/E versus 19.2x for Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. — 17.9x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis.
07Which pays a better dividend — AQN or AXIA?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQN) offers the highest yield at 5.6%, versus 0.2% for AXIA Energia S.A. (AXIA).
08Is AQN or AXIA better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQN) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.44), 5.6% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AQN: +55.5%, AXIA: -92.7%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between AQN and AXIA?
Both stocks operate in the Utilities sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: AQN is a small-cap income-oriented stock; AXIA is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. AQN pays a dividend while AXIA does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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