12:30 PM EDT, 03/26/2024 (MT Newswires) -- CFRA, an independent research provider, has provided MT Newswires with the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:

We raise our 12-month target price by $13 to $72, 11.3x our 2024 EPS estimate ($0.08 lower to $6.35; we lower 2025 by $0.02 to $7.23), above NRG's three- and five-year averages of 8.6x and 8.7x, respectively. Our target still represents a wide discount to peers to reflect higher debt levels, higher risks from unregulated operations, and the recent instability in leadership following pressure from Elliott Management (NRG is still seeking a permanent CEO replacement), as well as some uncertainty about the long-term growth trajectory of Vivint, in our view. NRG's share price performance (+30% YTD) reflects greater investor confidence in NRG's commitment to debt reduction and return of shareholder capital, in our view. While we expect improvement in margins, free cash flow, and earnings this year, we note risks from weaker electricity demand and customer growth. Shares yield 2.4%, below peers, although we anticipate dividend growth will exceed peers at a near 7% CAGR from 2023 to 2026.