Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) vs Algonquin Power & Utilities Cor (AQNB) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | NEE | 11.0% revenue growth vs AQNB's -14.0% |
| Value | NEE | Lower P/E (23.3x vs 171.6x) |
| Quality / Margins | NEE | 24.9% net margin vs AQNB's -57.7% |
| Stability / Safety | AQNB | Beta 0.08 vs NEE's 0.35, lower leverage |
| Dividends | NEE | 2.4% yield, 30-year raise streak, vs AQNB's 1.6% |
| Momentum (1Y) | NEE | +37.8% vs AQNB's +7.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | NEE | 3.2% ROA vs AQNB's -10.0%, ROIC 4.1% vs 2.4% |
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
NextEra Energy is a major electric utility and clean energy developer that operates regulated utilities in Florida while also building renewable projects across North America. It makes money primarily through regulated utility operations — about 60% of earnings — and its competitive energy generation business that develops wind, solar, and battery storage projects. The company's key advantage is its massive scale in renewable energy development and its first-mover position in clean energy infrastructure, giving it unmatched project execution capabilities and cost advantages.
Algonquin Power & Utilities is a diversified utility company that operates regulated water, gas, and electric distribution systems while also developing renewable energy projects. It generates revenue through regulated utility operations — which provide stable cash flows — and renewable energy generation, primarily from wind and solar assets. The company benefits from a dual-moat structure combining regulated monopoly utility operations with 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
NEE leads in 5 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). AQNB leads in 1 (Risk & Volatility).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
NEE is the larger business by revenue, generating $27.5B annually — 11.6x AQNB's $2.4B. NEE is the more profitable business, keeping 24.9% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AQNB's -57.7%.
| Metric | NEENextEra Energy, I… | AQNBAlgonquin Power &… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $27.5B | $2.4B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $15.3B | $792M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $6.8B | -$1.4B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$28.3B | $2.6B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +62.8% | +37.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +30.1% | +19.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +24.9% | -57.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -103.0% | +109.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +21.9% | +24.4% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +25.9% | -93.1% |
Valuation Metrics
At 28.5x trailing earnings, NEE trades at a 83% valuation discount to AQNB's 171.6x P/E.
| Metric | NEENextEra Energy, I… | AQNBAlgonquin Power &… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $195.3B | — |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $288.1B | — |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 28.50x | 171.60x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 23.33x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 1.65x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 18.78x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 7.11x | — |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.95x | 3.06x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
NEE delivers a 10.3% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $10 in annual profit, vs $-27 for AQNB. AQNB carries lower financial leverage with a 1.09x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to NEE's 1.44x.
| Metric | NEENextEra Energy, I… | AQNBAlgonquin Power &… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +10.3% | -26.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +3.2% | -10.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +4.1% | +2.4% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +4.7% | +2.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.44x | 1.09x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $92.8B | $6.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2.8B | $35M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $95.6B | $6.7B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 1.81x | 1.23x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in NEE five years ago would be worth $13,627 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $12,427 for AQNB. Over the past 12 months, NEE leads with a +37.8% total return vs AQNB's +7.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors NEE at 12.1% vs AQNB's 10.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | NEENextEra Energy, I… | AQNBAlgonquin Power &… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +16.6% | +0.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +37.8% | +7.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +41.0% | +35.6% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +36.3% | +24.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +287.2% | +45.0% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +12.1% | +10.7% |
Risk & Volatility
AQNB is the less volatile stock with a 0.08 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than NEE's 0.35 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | NEENextEra Energy, I… | AQNBAlgonquin Power &… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.35x | 0.08x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $95.91 | $26.22 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $61.72 | $24.59 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +97.8% | +98.2% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 56.6 | 52.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 7.5M | 25K |
Analyst Outlook
For income investors, NEE offers the higher dividend yield at 2.39% vs AQNB's 1.56%.
| Metric | NEENextEra Energy, I… | AQNBAlgonquin Power &… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | — |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $93.27 | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 36 | — |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +2.4% | +1.6% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 30 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $2.24 | $0.40 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | — |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) | 100 | 136.62 | +36.6% |
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQNB) | 100 | 96.93 | -3.1% |
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) returned +36% over 5 years vs Algonquin Power & U… (AQNB)'s +24%. A $10,000 investment in NEE 5 years ago would be worth $13,627 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) | $16.1B | $27.5B | +70.3% |
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQNB) | $823M | $2.3B | +181.9% |
NextEra Energy, Inc.'s revenue grew from $16.1B (2016) to $27.5B (2025) — a 6.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) | 18.0% | 24.9% | +37.8% |
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQNB) | 11.9% | -59.5% | -601.7% |
NextEra Energy, Inc.'s net margin went from 18% (2016) to 25% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) | 13.8 | 24.4 | +76.8% |
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQNB) | 26.6 | 168.1 | +532.0% |
NextEra Energy, Inc. has traded in a 13x–52x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~29x. Algonquin Power & Utilities Cor has traded in a 20x–168x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~172x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) | 1.56 | 3.29 | +110.9% |
| Algonquin Power & U… (AQNB) | 0.36 | 0.15 | -58.3% |
NextEra Energy, Inc.'s EPS grew from $1.56 (2016) to $3.29 (2025) — a 9% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
NextEra Energy, Inc. generated $-12B FCF in 2025 (-101% vs 2021). Algonquin Power & Utilities Cor generated $-391M FCF in 2024 (+68% vs 2021).
NEE vs AQNB: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is NEE or AQNB a better buy right now?
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) offers the better valuation at 28.5x trailing P/E (23.3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) a "Buy" — based on 36 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 — NEE or AQNB?
On trailing P/E, NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) is the cheapest at 28.5x versus Algonquin Power & Utilities Cor at 171.6x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — NEE or AQNB?
Over the past 5 years, NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) delivered a total return of +36.3%, compared to +24.3% for Algonquin Power & Utilities Cor (AQNB). A $10,000 investment in NEE five years ago would be worth approximately $14K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: NEE returned +287.2% versus AQNB's +45.0%. 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 — NEE or AQNB?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Algonquin Power & Utilities Cor (AQNB) is the lower-risk stock at 0.08β versus NextEra Energy, Inc.'s 0.35β — meaning NEE is approximately 331% more volatile than AQNB relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Algonquin Power & Utilities Cor (AQNB) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 109% versus 144% for NextEra Energy, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — NEE or AQNB?
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) is the more profitable company, earning 24.9% net margin versus -59.5% for Algonquin Power & Utilities Cor — meaning it keeps 24.9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: NEE leads at 30.1% versus 19.2% for AQNB. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — NEE leads at 62.8%, 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.
06Which pays a better dividend — NEE or AQNB?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) offers the highest yield at 2.4%, versus 1.6% for Algonquin Power & Utilities Cor (AQNB).
07Is NEE or AQNB better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Algonquin Power & Utilities Cor (AQNB) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.08), 1.6% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AQNB: +45.0%, NEE: +287.2%), 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 NEE and AQNB?
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.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.