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Side-by-side financial comparison of NRG Energy (NRG) and Smurfit Westrock (SW). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

NRG Energy is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($7.7B vs $7.6B, roughly 1.0× Smurfit Westrock). Smurfit Westrock runs the higher net margin — 1.3% vs 0.9%, a 0.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, NRG Energy posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (13.6% vs 0.5%). Smurfit Westrock produced more free cash flow last quarter ($612.0M vs $-175.0M). Over the past eight quarters, Smurfit Westrock's revenue compounded faster (60.8% CAGR vs 2.0%).

NRG Energy, Inc. is an American energy company, headquartered in Houston, Texas. It was formerly the wholesale arm of Northern States Power Company (NSP), which became Xcel Energy, but became independent in 2000. NRG Energy is involved in energy generation and retail electricity. Their portfolio includes natural gas generation, coal generation, oil generation, nuclear generation, wind generation, utility-scale generation, and distributed solar generation.

Smurfit Westrock plc is an Irish company based in Dublin, Ireland that manufactures corrugated and paper-based packaging. Its stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.

NRG vs SW — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
NRG
NRG
1.0× larger
NRG
$7.7B
$7.6B
SW
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
NRG
NRG
+13.1% gap
NRG
13.6%
0.5%
SW
Higher net margin
SW
SW
0.4% more per $
SW
1.3%
0.9%
NRG
More free cash flow
SW
SW
$787.0M more FCF
SW
$612.0M
$-175.0M
NRG
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
SW
SW
Annualised
SW
60.8%
2.0%
NRG

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Revenue
$7.7B
$7.6B
Net Profit
$66.0M
$97.0M
Gross Margin
18.2%
Operating Margin
3.9%
5.1%
Net Margin
0.9%
1.3%
Revenue YoY
13.6%
0.5%
Net Profit YoY
-89.7%
-33.6%
EPS (diluted)
$0.33
$0.18

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
$7.7B
$7.6B
Q3 25
$7.5B
$8.0B
Q2 25
$6.7B
$7.9B
Q1 25
$8.5B
$7.7B
Q4 24
$6.8B
$7.5B
Q3 24
$7.1B
$7.7B
Q2 24
$6.5B
$3.0B
Q1 24
$7.4B
$2.9B
Net Profit
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
$66.0M
$97.0M
Q3 25
$152.0M
$246.0M
Q2 25
$-104.0M
$-28.0M
Q1 25
$750.0M
$384.0M
Q4 24
$643.0M
$146.0M
Q3 24
$-767.0M
$-150.0M
Q2 24
$738.0M
$132.0M
Q1 24
$511.0M
$191.0M
Gross Margin
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
18.2%
Q3 25
19.6%
Q2 25
19.1%
Q1 25
20.6%
Q4 24
19.1%
Q3 24
17.6%
Q2 24
23.3%
Q1 24
24.2%
Operating Margin
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
3.9%
5.1%
Q3 25
5.5%
6.6%
Q2 25
3.2%
Q1 25
13.4%
7.2%
Q4 24
14.1%
5.3%
Q3 24
-11.4%
0.7%
Q2 24
21.8%
8.2%
Q1 24
11.8%
10.5%
Net Margin
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
0.9%
1.3%
Q3 25
2.0%
3.1%
Q2 25
-1.6%
-0.4%
Q1 25
8.8%
5.0%
Q4 24
9.5%
1.9%
Q3 24
-10.8%
-2.0%
Q2 24
11.4%
4.4%
Q1 24
6.9%
6.5%
EPS (diluted)
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
$0.33
$0.18
Q3 25
$0.69
$0.47
Q2 25
$-0.62
$-0.05
Q1 25
$3.61
$0.73
Q4 24
$3.10
$-0.12
Q3 24
$-3.79
$-0.30
Q2 24
$3.37
$0.51
Q1 24
$2.31
$0.73

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$4.7B
$892.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$16.4B
$13.4B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.7B
$18.3B
Total Assets
$29.1B
$45.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
9.76×
0.73×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
$4.7B
$892.0M
Q3 25
$732.0M
$851.0M
Q2 25
$180.0M
$778.0M
Q1 25
$693.0M
$797.0M
Q4 24
$966.0M
$855.0M
Q3 24
$1.1B
Q2 24
$376.0M
$26.8K
Q1 24
$278.0M
$108
Total Debt
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
$16.4B
$13.4B
Q3 25
$11.2B
$13.3B
Q2 25
$9.8B
$13.3B
Q1 25
$9.8B
$12.9B
Q4 24
$9.8B
$12.5B
Q3 24
$10.4B
$13.2B
Q2 24
$10.4B
Q1 24
$9.6B
Stockholders' Equity
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
$1.7B
$18.3B
Q3 25
$2.0B
$18.4B
Q2 25
$2.3B
$18.3B
Q1 25
$2.8B
$17.9B
Q4 24
$2.5B
$17.4B
Q3 24
$2.5B
$18.0B
Q2 24
$3.6B
$14.5K
Q1 24
$3.3B
$108
Total Assets
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
$29.1B
$45.2B
Q3 25
$24.0B
$45.6B
Q2 25
$24.1B
$45.7B
Q1 25
$25.0B
$44.6B
Q4 24
$24.0B
$43.8B
Q3 24
$23.7B
$45.0B
Q2 24
$25.8B
$26.8K
Q1 24
$25.4B
$108
Debt / Equity
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
9.76×
0.73×
Q3 25
5.66×
0.72×
Q2 25
4.29×
0.73×
Q1 25
3.53×
0.72×
Q4 24
3.96×
0.72×
Q3 24
4.14×
0.73×
Q2 24
2.88×
Q1 24
2.90×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$123.0M
$1.2B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-175.0M
$612.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-2.3%
8.1%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
3.9%
7.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.86×
12.32×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$766.0M
$1.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
$123.0M
$1.2B
Q3 25
$484.0M
$1.1B
Q2 25
$451.0M
$829.0M
Q1 25
$855.0M
$235.0M
Q4 24
$952.0M
$781.0M
Q3 24
$31.0M
$320.0M
Q2 24
$1.1B
$340.0M
Q1 24
$267.0M
$42.0M
Free Cash Flow
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
$-175.0M
$612.0M
Q3 25
$230.0M
$523.0M
Q2 25
$73.0M
$307.0M
Q1 25
$638.0M
$-242.0M
Q4 24
$766.0M
$212.0M
Q3 24
$-83.0M
$-192.0M
Q2 24
$953.0M
$163.0M
Q1 24
$198.0M
$-166.0M
FCF Margin
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
-2.3%
8.1%
Q3 25
3.1%
6.5%
Q2 25
1.1%
3.9%
Q1 25
7.5%
-3.2%
Q4 24
11.3%
2.8%
Q3 24
-1.2%
-2.5%
Q2 24
14.7%
5.5%
Q1 24
2.7%
-5.7%
Capex Intensity
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
3.9%
7.7%
Q3 25
3.4%
7.6%
Q2 25
5.7%
6.6%
Q1 25
2.6%
6.2%
Q4 24
2.8%
7.5%
Q3 24
1.6%
6.7%
Q2 24
1.6%
6.0%
Q1 24
0.9%
7.1%
Cash Conversion
NRG
NRG
SW
SW
Q4 25
1.86×
12.32×
Q3 25
3.18×
4.61×
Q2 25
Q1 25
1.14×
0.61×
Q4 24
1.48×
5.35×
Q3 24
Q2 24
1.43×
2.58×
Q1 24
0.52×
0.22×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

NRG
NRG

Segment breakdown not available.

SW
SW

Packaging$3.3B43%
Other$3.2B43%
Paper$1.1B14%

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