Dividend and Share Buyback Boosts U.S. Utility Stocks by 2.8 Trillion Won in a Day

NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) shares surged 6.17% on the 5th in New York trading, closing at $153.32.

The company’s market capitalization climbed to about $29.3 billion (roughly KRW 43 trillion), marking a one-day increase of approximately $1.9 billion (KRW 2.8 trillion). Trading volume reached around 1.08 million shares.

Recently, NRG raised its full-year 2025 guidance and issued its first standalone outlook for 2026. It also strengthened its capital-return policy by authorizing up to $3 billion in share repurchases and increasing dividends through 2028.

At the end of last month, NRG completed the acquisition of approximately 13 GW of gas-fired power plants and a demand-management platform from LS Power, doubling its generation capacity to about 25 GW. This expansion directly addresses rising power demand driven by AI and data centers.

NRG Energy is an integrated power company selling electricity and natural gas across the U.S. and Canada. With about 6 million retail energy customers—primarily in Texas and the U.S. Northeast—it is one of the largest competitive retail power providers.

Under CEO Larry Coben, NRG has boosted its cash-generation capabilities by combining wholesale generation, retail operations, and smart-home services. Analysts say the company is well positioned to capitalize on a “power-demand supercycle” through its LS Power acquisition and new gas-fired generation projects.