The free dividend tracker to help you grow your wealth. Link your brokerage accounts and MerryDiv automatically syncs your holdings and dividends.
Data last updated: Sep 06, 2026
Snapshot (as of Sep 06, 2026): NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) pays a $1.87 annual dividend ($0.47 quarterly), yielding 1.57% at $119.02/share. Next ex-dividend date 2026-08-03. 8 consecutive years of dividend growth. Source: Yahoo Finance, aggregated by MerryDiv.
Dividend Yield: 1.57%
Annual Dividend: $1.87 per share
Payout Ratio: 51.7%
Ex-Dividend Date: 2026-08-03
Dividend Frequency: quarterly
Sector: Utilities
Years of Dividend History: 15
NRG Energy, Inc. dividend investors are looking at a power company that serves roughly six million customers across the U.S. under brands like Reliant, Direct Energy, and Green Mountain Energy. The current yield sits at 1.57%, with a trailing annual dividend rate of $1.8650 per share paid quarterly. The next ex-dividend date is August 3, 2026. NRG stock carries a beta of 1.173, meaning it moves with more volatility than the broader market, which suits growth-and-income investors more than those seeking a purely defensive income stream.
NRG Energy, Inc. pays out 51.7% of earnings as dividends, a payout ratio classified as moderate (40-60%). That level leaves a meaningful buffer, supported by the company's scale across residential, commercial, and wholesale electricity markets serving approximately six million customers. NRG Energy, Inc. dividend safety faces its most notable pressure from the company's exposure to commodity markets, including natural gas, coal, and oil, where fuel cost swings can compress margins. Beta of 1.173 also signals that earnings are not immune to broader market volatility.
NRG Energy, Inc. dividend history shows a CAGR of 12.0% per year from 2013 to 2025. The per-share annual dividend grew from $0.4500 in 2013 to $1.7600 in 2025 (2026 is a partial year and excluded from this calculation). The largest annual increase in the window was 900.0% in 2020, reflecting a reset from a period of suppressed payouts rather than organic growth. The data also contains at least one year-over-year decline exceeding 5%, so the growth path has not been linear.
| Period | CAGR | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Year | +7.9% | $1.40 (2022) | $1.76 (2025) |
| 5-Year | +8.0% | $1.20 (2020) | $1.76 (2025) |
| 10-Year | +11.7% | $0.58 (2015) | $1.76 (2025) |
NRG fits growth-and-income investors who want dividend growth over current yield, not maximum income today. The yield is low (below 2%) at 1.57%, and that is actually above the stock's own 5-year average of 1.28%, so the current entry point offers slightly more income than the historical norm. The 12.0% annual CAGR over 12 years is the real draw here. The trade-off is clear: NRG stock delivers fast dividend growth but a yield that income-focused investors will find thin. Eight consecutive years of increases back the growth story, but the history table shows the dividend has not always moved in one direction.
| Payment Date | Amount per Share |
|---|---|
| 2026-08-03 | $0.4750 |
| 2026-05-01 | $0.4750 |
| 2026-02-02 | $0.4750 |
| 2025-11-03 | $0.4400 |
| 2025-08-01 | $0.4400 |
| 2025-05-01 | $0.4400 |
| 2025-02-03 | $0.4400 |
| 2024-11-01 | $0.4075 |
| 2024-08-01 | $0.4075 |
| 2024-04-30 | $0.4075 |
| Year | Total Dividends |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $1.4250 |
| 2025 | $1.7600 |
| 2024 | $1.6300 |
| 2023 | $1.5095 |
| 2022 | $1.4000 |
Project income from NRG with the NRG dividend calculator or track your full portfolio with the dividend tracker.