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Stock Comparison · Industry comparison · Utilities - Regulated Electric

CenterPoint Energy vs Pinnacle West Capital: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Pinnacle West Capital holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across growth and valuation. CenterPoint Energy still has the edge on profitability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is broadly comparable for both — no clear directional signal from price behavior. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

Most of the visible separation comes from growth.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Utilities - Regulated Electric

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. CNP and PNW share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how CenterPoint Energy and Pinnacle West Capital each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
CNP
CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
37
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
PNW
Pinnacle West Capital Corporation
44
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: CNP vs PNW Profitability 13 0 Stability 62 57 Valuation 54 79 Growth 20 47 CNP PNW
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +27
#2 Valuation +25
#3 Profitability +13
#4 Stability +5
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for CNP and PNW Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer CNPPNW Relative valuation Structural strength

Structure stays fairly close here, while current pricing still looks more supportive for Pinnacle West Capital Corporation.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where CNP and PNW each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY CNP Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 1 pct gap PNW Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 95th 96th
CNP (95th percentile) and PNW (96th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
Pinnacle West Capital Corporation sits higher in the group on growth, adding to the overall structural advantage.
Valuation
Both look solid on valuation, though Pinnacle West Capital Corporation still holds the stronger peer position.
Growth — Dominant Gap
CNP
20
PNW
47
Gap+27in favour of PNW

The current lead is backed by a stronger multi-year growth trajectory.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Profitability still favours CenterPoint Energy, with a 10.2-point operating margin advantage keeping the comparison from looking fully resolved.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both growth and valuation — though profitability still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the CNP vs PNW comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar growth-and-valuation comparisons

Explore how CNP and PNW each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.