Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (BEP) vs Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQN) 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 | BEP | 10.9% revenue growth vs AQN's -3.5% |
| Quality / Margins | BEP | 3.3% net margin vs AQN's -57.7% |
| Stability / Safety | AQN | Beta 0.44 vs BEP's 0.73 |
| Dividends | BEP | 12.7% yield, 1-year raise streak, vs AQN's 5.6% |
| Momentum (1Y) | AQN | +51.5% vs BEP's +49.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | BEP | 0.2% ROA vs AQN's -10.0%, ROIC 1.0% 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
Brookfield Renewable Partners is one of the world's largest publicly traded renewable power platforms, owning and operating hydroelectric, wind, solar, and storage facilities across multiple continents. It generates revenue primarily through long-term power purchase agreements — selling electricity to utilities and corporate customers — with additional income from development activities and asset sales. Its key advantage is scale and diversification across geographies and technologies, backed by Brookfield Asset Management's deep capital and operational expertise.
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.
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
BEP leads in 3 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). AQN leads in 2 (Profitability & Efficiency, Risk & Volatility). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
BEP is the larger business by revenue, generating $6.4B annually — 2.7x AQN's $2.4B. BEP is the more profitable business, keeping 3.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AQN's -57.7%. On growth, BEP holds the edge at +9.1% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | BEPBrookfield Renewa… | AQNAlgonquin Power &… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $6.4B | $2.4B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $3.3B | $792M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $212M | -$1.4B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$8.3B | $2.6B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +44.8% | +65.1% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +13.3% | +19.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +3.3% | -57.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -128.7% | +109.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +9.1% | +2.4% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +25.3% | -89.3% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, BEP's 12.7x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than AQN's 13.0x.
| Metric | BEPBrookfield Renewa… | AQNAlgonquin Power &… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $9.7B | $5.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $42.5B | $12.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -471.51x | -3.86x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 19.20x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 12.72x | 13.03x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.49x | 2.31x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.26x | 0.83x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
BEP delivers a 0.6% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $1 in annual profit, vs $-27 for AQN. BEP carries lower financial leverage with a 1.00x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to AQN's 1.08x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AQN scores 6/9 vs BEP's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | BEPBrookfield Renewa… | AQNAlgonquin Power &… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +0.6% | -26.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +0.2% | -10.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +1.0% | +2.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +1.1% | +2.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.00x | 1.08x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $32.7B | $6.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2.1B | $35M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $34.8B | $6.7B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.35x | 1.29x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in BEP five years ago would be worth $9,044 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,015 for AQN. Over the past 12 months, AQN leads with a +51.5% total return vs BEP's +49.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors BEP at 11.4% vs AQN's 2.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | BEPBrookfield Renewa… | AQNAlgonquin Power &… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +15.2% | +14.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +49.6% | +51.5% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +38.2% | +6.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -9.6% | -39.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +214.6% | +55.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +11.4% | +2.0% |
Risk & Volatility
AQN is the less volatile stock with a 0.44 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than BEP's 0.73 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | BEPBrookfield Renewa… | AQNAlgonquin Power &… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.73x | 0.44x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $32.72 | $7.11 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $19.29 | $4.29 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +97.1% | +98.2% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 70.9 | 68.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 446K | 4.0M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates BEP as "Buy" and AQN as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 9.0% upside for BEP (target: $35) vs 0.3% for AQN (target: $7). For income investors, BEP offers the higher dividend yield at 12.72% vs AQN's 5.58%.
| Metric | BEPBrookfield Renewa… | AQNAlgonquin Power &… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $34.63 | $7.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 20 | 12 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +12.7% | +5.6% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $4.04 | $0.39 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.1% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield Renewabl… (BEP) | 100 | 103.72 | +3.7% |
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQN) | 100 | 41.68 | -58.3% |
Brookfield Renewabl… (BEP) returned -10% over 5 years vs Algonquin Power & U… (AQN)'s -40%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield Renewabl… (BEP) | $2.5B | $6.5B | +165.9% |
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQN) | $815M | $2.3B | +184.5% |
Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P.'s revenue grew from $2.5B (2016) to $6.5B (2025) — a 11.5% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield Renewabl… (BEP) | -0.9% | -0.3% | +65.4% |
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQN) | 11.9% | -59.5% | -598.2% |
Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P.'s net margin went from -1% (2016) to -0% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 6 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQN) | 30.2 | 210.7 | +597.7% |
Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. has traded in a 12x–211x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~-4x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield Renewabl… (BEP) | -0.15 | -0.07 | +55.1% |
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQN) | 0.33 | -1.81 | -648.5% |
Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P.'s EPS grew from $-0.15 (2016) to $-0.07 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. generated $-5B FCF in 2025 (-324% vs 2021). Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. generated $-391M FCF in 2024 (+67% vs 2021).
BEP vs AQN: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is BEP or AQN a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (BEP) a "Buy" — based on 20 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 is the better long-term investment — BEP or AQN?
Over the past 5 years, Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (BEP) delivered a total return of -9.6%, compared to -39.8% for Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQN). A $10,000 investment in BEP five years ago would be worth approximately $9K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: BEP returned +214.6% versus AQN's +55.5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — BEP or AQN?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQN) is the lower-risk stock at 0.44β versus Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P.'s 0.73β — meaning BEP is approximately 67% more volatile than AQN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (BEP) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 100% versus 108% for Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — BEP or AQN?
Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (BEP) is the more profitable company, earning -0.3% net margin versus -59.5% for Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. — meaning it keeps -0.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AQN leads at 19.2% versus 13.4% for BEP. 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.
05Is BEP or AQN more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for BEP: 9.0% to $34.63.
06Which pays a better dividend — BEP or AQN?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (BEP) offers the highest yield at 12.7%, versus 5.6% for Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQN).
07Is BEP or AQN 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%, BEP: +214.6%), 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.
08What are the main differences between BEP and AQN?
Both stocks operate in the Utilities sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. 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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