Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. NRG scored 49.3, MWH scored 72.0 — MWH leads.
Compare another set
NRG
NRG Energy, Inc.
Utilities - Independent Power Producers · Quality-Growth
49.3
$107.97 · $22.7B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
22.7
MWH leads
MWH
SOLV Energy, Inc.
Utilities - Renewable · Quality-Growth
72
$26.21 · $5.3B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestNRG28.3x
Fastest growthMWH+34.8%
Strongest balance sheetMWH0.10
Highest qualityMWH74 / 100
Largest discount to fair valueMWH-23%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
NRG
stronger →← stronger
MWH
46
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
74
74
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
95
35
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
75
MWH is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
NRG
MWH
$316mC
FCF
$295mC
+9.2%B
Rev
+34.8%A
4.83D
D/E
0.10A
28.3xC
P/E
55.8xD
0.41A
PEG
1.65C+
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
NRG
MWH
249% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
23% below
~50%/yr
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
~9%/yr
-78%
1-yr DCF upside
-1%
-71%
5-yr DCF upside
+29%
-58%
10-yr DCF upside
+90%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
NRG
Why this score
Raising its dividend
Diluting shareholders
MWH
Why this score
Short track record
The companies
NRGNRG Energy, Inc.
Utilities - Independent Power Producers · $107.97 · beta 1.16
Why now
Utilities - Independent Power Producers · market cap $22.7b. Down 43% from 52-week high of $189.96 — deep drawdown territory. PEG 0.41 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 16 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $185.50 (implying +72% upside).
Moat
ROE 24% is above 15% — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately.
Risk
D/E 4.83 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Down 43% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Net margin 2.6% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first.
MWHSOLV Energy, Inc.
Utilities - Renewable · $26.21
Why now
Utilities - Renewable · market cap $5.3b. Down 46% from 52-week high of $48.40 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +35% — in hypergrowth territory. 11 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $43.73 (implying +67% upside).
Moat
Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income, mostly because of depreciation and amortization ($96m) — non-cash charges that hold down reported earnings while cash generation stays strong.
Risk
Trailing P/E 55.8x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating. Down 46% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Net margin 3.8% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first.
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 NRG and MWH diverge
On the headline score the gap is 22.7 points in favor of MWH. The widest single difference is Value, where MWH leads by 39.8 points.
ValueNRG 35.1 · MWH 74.9MWH +39.8
QualityNRG 46.4 · MWH 74.2MWH +27.8
GrowthNRG 73.8 · MWH 95.4MWH +21.6
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 MWH or NRG the better stock?
MWH scores higher: MWH 72.0, NRG 49.3 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 MWH and NRG differ most?
The widest gap is value, where MWH leads by 40 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. MWH leads all three pillars, so the gap is broad rather than a single-measure difference.
How are MWH and NRG 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.