Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. FE scored 56.8, CEPU scored 66.0 — CEPU leads.
Compare another set
Different reporting periods. CEPU's fundamentals are as of June 2026, but FE's are as of March 2026 — a 3-month gap. Growth, margin and valuation figures below therefore describe different windows and aren't strictly like-for-like.
FE
FirstEnergy Corp.
Utilities - Regulated Electric · Quality-Growth
56.8
$45.00 · $26.0B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
9.2
CEPU leads
CEPU
Central Puerto S.A.
Utilities - Regulated Electric · Quality-Growth
66
$12.64 · $1.9B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
Fastest growthCEPU+13.0%
Strongest balance sheetCEPU0.33
Highest qualityCEPU70 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
FE
stronger →← stronger
CEPU
55
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
70
70
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
86
47
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
86
CEPU is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
FE
CEPU
-$1.7bF
FCF
$40mC-
+11.3%B
Rev
+13.0%B+
2.01C
D/E
0.33A
1.7xB+
P/S
—
1.49B
PEG
—
—
P/E
5.5xA
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
FE
CEPU
—
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
158% above
—
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
~34%/yr
—
1-yr DCF upside
-66%
—
5-yr DCF upside
-61%
—
10-yr DCF upside
-54%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
FE
Why this score
Durable high returns
CEPU
Why this score
Cut its dividend
Foreign reporter (ARS)
The companies
FEFirstEnergy Corp.
Utilities - Regulated Electric · $45.00 · beta 0.42
Why now
Utilities - Regulated Electric · market cap $26.0b. 14% off the 52-week high of $52.34. Revenue growing +11%, comfortably above the S&P median. 12 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $52.67 (implying +17% upside).
Moat
Higher-variance name — the moat signals on the quantitative card are modest, so the durability case rests on execution (turning current growth into durable earnings power) or an un-monetized asset (IP / network effects / first-mover position) rather than an entrenched competitive position.
Risk
D/E 2.01 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Free cash flow is negative (-$1.7b) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk. Dividend payout 96% of earnings on a 4.2% yield — distribution coverage is thin; one earnings stumble could force a dividend cut.
CEPUCentral Puerto S.A.
Utilities - Regulated Electric · $12.64 · beta -0.18
Why now
Utilities - Regulated Electric · market cap $1.9b. Down 32% from 52-week high of $18.50 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +13%, comfortably above the S&P median. 5 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $23.81 (implying +88% upside).
Moat
Net margin 29% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 19% is above 15% — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately.
Risk
Down 32% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where FE and CEPU diverge
On the headline score the gap is 9.2 points in favor of CEPU. The widest single difference is Value, where CEPU leads by 38.9 points.
ValueFE 47.1 · CEPU 86.0CEPU +38.9
GrowthFE 70.3 · CEPU 86.2CEPU +15.9
QualityFE 55.3 · CEPU 70.2CEPU +14.9
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.
Common questions
Is CEPU or FE the better stock?
CEPU scores higher: CEPU 66.0, FE 56.8 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do CEPU and FE differ most?
The widest gap is value, where CEPU leads by 39 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. CEPU leads all three pillars, so the gap is broad rather than a single-measure difference.
How are CEPU and FE scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.