CEG vs ETR: Deregulated Nuclear Pure-Play vs Regulated Nuclear Utility: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Constellation Energy is the deregulated nuclear pure-play benefiting from hyperscaler PPA demand and wholesale power price appreciation. Entergy is a regulated Gulf Coast utility with nuclear assets, growing data center and industrial load, and a higher dividend yield. CEG offers more upside leverage to AI power demand and clean energy premiums; ETR offers more earnings stability and income from its regulated model.
This CEG vs ETR comparison frames two different ways to invest in nuclear-powered electricity generation. CEG operates in deregulated markets where power prices are set by supply and demand, offering more upside but more volatility. ETR earns regulated returns with more predictable earnings, a higher yield, and a growing demand base along the Gulf Coast.
ETR holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. ETR has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+6.46% vs -31.92%), though CEG has the better forward P/E setup (20.74x vs 20.75x for ETR). On fundamentals, CEG is growing revenue faster (23.00%), while ETR maintains the higher operating margin (24.46%) — a classic growth-versus-profitability split. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for CEG (+25.86%) than for ETR (+16.62%).
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want maximum leverage to the AI data center power demand theme through deregulated nuclear generation
- Believe clean energy premiums and hyperscaler PPAs will drive long-term earnings growth above utility peers
- Are comfortable with wholesale power price exposure in exchange for higher earnings upside potential
- See the Calpine acquisition as a value-creating portfolio diversification catalyst
- Prefer regulated earnings stability with a 3.1% dividend yield and mid-single-digit growth guidance
- Want exposure to Gulf Coast industrial and data center demand growth within a regulated utility model
- Value the predictability of regulated rate base investment over deregulated wholesale market exposure
- Are looking for a utility with nuclear generation assets at a lower valuation than pure-play nuclear stocks
| Metric | CEG | ETR |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 50.0 | 51.3 |
| AI ranki | #433 | #412 |
| Latest closei | $275.00 | $103.96 |
| 1M returni | +5.81% | +1.01% |
| 3M returni | +9.23% | -9.50% |
| 6M returni | -8.07% | -10.00% |
| 1Y returni | -31.92% | +6.46% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | CEG | ETR |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $6.94K (-30.6%) started 2025-10-16 | $10.83K (+8.3%) started 2025-10-16 |
| 5Y ago | $69.74K (+597.4%) started 2022-01-19 | $22.95K (+129.5%) started 2021-10-18 |
| 10Y ago | $69.74K (+597.4%) started 2022-01-19 | $37.01K (+270.1%) started 2016-10-17 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | CEG | ETR |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $98.05B | $49.35B |
| Trailing P/Ei | 27.03 | 27.05 |
| Forward P/Ei | 20.74 | 20.75 |
| Price/Salesi | 3.87 | N/A |
| EV/Revenuei | 3.91 | 5.97 |
| Analyst targeti | $348.30 | $123.33 |
| Target upsidei | +25.86% | +16.62% |
| Metric | CEG | ETR |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 23.00% | 5.90% |
| Earnings growthi | -46.80% | -1.90% |
| EPS growthi | -46.80% | -1.90% |
| FCF margini | -21.19% | -32.64% |
| Operating margini | 8.66% | 24.46% |
| Profit margini | 11.08% | 13.33% |
| ROIC proxyi | 15.06% | 10.25% |
| Return on equityi | 15.06% | 10.25% |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.62% | 2.42% |
| Payout ratioi | 15.92% | 64.45% |
| Dividend growth streaki | No increase yet | 2 yrs |
| Betai | 1.12 | 0.49 |
| Debt/equityi | 76.42 | 186.77 |
| Current ratioi | 1.46 | 0.91 |
| Quick ratioi | 0.47 | 0.62 |
Over the past year, CEG and ETR have moved weakly in the same direction (correlation of 0.38), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | CEG | ETR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | -30.65% | +8.27% |
| CAGRi | -30.69% | +8.28% | |
| Volatilityi | 48.50% | 20.25% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.61 | 0.27 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.83 | 0.39 | |
| Max drawdowni | 41.09% | 16.80% | |
| Current drawdowni | 31.49% | 11.83% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 25.16% | 4.83% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 27.02% | 6.35% | |
| Max daily dropi | 10.90% | 4.03% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 15.28% | 7.18% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +575.59% | +116.42% |
| CAGRi | +49.64% | +16.72% | |
| Volatilityi | 49.08% | 22.46% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.98 | 0.60 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.51 | 0.88 | |
| Max drawdowni | 50.70% | 28.59% | |
| Current drawdowni | 31.92% | 11.83% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 13.19% | 8.80% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 17.49% | 11.48% | |
| Max daily dropi | 20.85% | 7.09% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 19.29% | 11.62% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +575.59% | +219.75% |
| CAGRi | +49.64% | +12.33% | |
| Volatilityi | 49.08% | 24.18% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.98 | 0.42 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.51 | 0.59 | |
| Max drawdowni | 50.70% | 41.99% | |
| Current drawdowni | 31.92% | 11.83% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 13.19% | 11.14% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 17.49% | 14.70% | |
| Max daily dropi | 20.85% | 15.73% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 19.29% | 24.84% |
| Category | CEG | ETR |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Constellation Energy Corporation | Entergy Corporation |
| Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| Industry | Utilities - Independent Power Producers | Utilities - Regulated Electric |
| Core business | Operator of the largest US nuclear fleet with 21 reactors across deregulated markets. Pursues long-term power purchase agreements with hyperscalers and data center operators for carbon-free baseload electricity. Completed the Calpine acquisition to add natural gas and geothermal generation. | Regulated electric utility serving approximately 3 million customers across the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas. Operates a fleet that includes nuclear, natural gas, and renewable generation with a growing focus on industrial and data center load growth in its service territory. |
| Investor focus | Nuclear fleet utilization and relicensing, hyperscaler PPA pricing and pipeline, Calpine integration synergies, clean energy premium monetization, and capital allocation strategy. | Industrial and data center load growth in the Gulf Coast corridor, nuclear fleet performance, rate base growth from grid investment, regulatory outcomes across four states, and dividend yield sustainability. |
- Largest US nuclear fleet operating in deregulated markets where power prices reflect true supply-demand dynamics
- High-value long-term PPAs with hyperscalers like Microsoft for carbon-free baseload electricity
- Calpine acquisition adds natural gas and geothermal assets, diversifying the generation portfolio
- Strong industrial and data center electricity demand growth along the Gulf Coast LNG and petrochemical corridor
- Regulated business model provides earnings predictability with constructive regulatory environments
- Attractive 3.1% dividend yield with a clear path to mid-single-digit earnings growth from rate base expansion
- Deregulated market exposure means earnings are more sensitive to wholesale power price fluctuations
- Nuclear plant maintenance, safety, and regulatory risk across a large fleet of aging reactors
- Calpine integration execution risk and increased leverage from the acquisition
- Gulf Coast hurricane exposure creates storm cost recovery risk and operational disruption
- Multi-state regulatory complexity across Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas
- Nuclear fleet operating risk concentrated in a smaller number of reactors versus CEG's diversified fleet
Compare more than two at a time
This page is a fixed writeup on CEG and ETR. Our comparison engine is the interactive version: load up to five tickers, switch timeframes, and get the correlation, drawdown, and overlap analysis that a static page can't show.
Add three more names beside CEG and ETR, mixing stocks and ETFs in the same table — useful when the real question is which of a whole peer group to own.
AI score, forward P/E, analyst target upside, operating margin, and revenue growth are scored head-to-head, with a running tally of which ticker leads on how many metrics.
Volatility, Sharpe and Sortino ratios, maximum, current, and average drawdown, Ulcer Index, and worst single-day and single-week drops across every timeframe.
Pairwise daily-return correlation for every combination, so you can see whether two holdings actually diversify each other or just move together.
A scatter plot of forward P/E against return on equity, plus drawdown and 30-day rolling volatility charts, to separate what is cheap from what is merely beaten down.
For ETFs, a top-holdings comparison that exposes hidden overlap between funds. Every comparison exports to CSV for your own spreadsheet work.
Two comparisons a week are free without an account. A 14-day trial removes the limit and adds AI price forecasts, stock rankings, saved watchlists, and the intrinsic value calculator — no credit card required.
Want deeper AI forecasts?
This comparison page is public and free forever. Subscribers can unlock saved watchlists, full AI rankings, detailed forecasts, and interactive analysis tools.
Full valuation workup with AI Score, Monte Carlo forecast, and bull/bear case — free preview, premium data from $3.99.