NEE vs SRE: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: SRE is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. NEE and SRE share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined NEE and SRE exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

NextEra Energy runs two very different businesses under one holding company. Florida Power & Light is a regulated electric utility serving roughly twelve million people across Florida; it earns an authorized return on the capital it invests in poles, wires, generation, and storage, so its profit grows as it grows its rate base, which expanded about ~8.8% year over year in early 2026. NextEra Energy Resources (NEER) is the competitive arm and the world's largest generator of electricity from wind and solar; it develops, builds, and operates clean-energy and battery-storage projects, selling power and capacity largely under long-term contracts to utilities, corporations, and data-center customers. The regulated utility provides steady, rate-regulated cash flow while the resources segment supplies higher-growth, contracted renewables and storage development.

Full NEE guide

Sempra (SRE) is a large regulated utility and energy infrastructure company headquartered in San Diego, California. Its core business is owning and operating regulated utilities that deliver electricity and natural gas to millions of customers. In California, Sempra owns San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), among the largest gas and electric utilities in the United States. In Texas, Sempra holds a controlling interest in Oncor, the largest regulated electric transmission and distribution utility in that fast-growing state. Beyond its regulated utilities, Sempra Infrastructure develops and operates liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals and related energy infrastructure, giving the company exposure to global gas demand alongside its steady, rate-regulated core. Most of Sempra's earnings come from regulated operations, where state and federal regulators set the rates it can charge and approve the capital it invests, producing relatively predictable cash flows that fund a growing dividend. Because so much of its business is regulated and capital-intensive, Sempra is widely viewed as a defensive, income-oriented, rate-sensitive way to invest in electricity and natural gas demand, grid modernization, electrification, and the buildout of energy infrastructure.

Full SRE guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• NEE drivers: Record renewables and storage backlog; Data-center and AI power demand.
• SRE drivers: Regulated utility earnings base; Texas and grid investment growth.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: NextEra is highly capital-intensive and carries substantial debt to fund construction, which makes it sensitive to interest rates: higher rates raise its borrowing costs and tend to compress the valuations investors assign to utility and renewable-growth stocks. For SRE, as a regulated utility, Sempra's allowed returns are set by regulators, and unfavorable rate decisions or delays can pressure earnings.

Pick NEE if you believe its drivers more; SRE if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the NEE and SRE guides.

NEE. As of late June 2026, NEE traded near the high-$80s per share with a market cap around ~$184B to ~$186B. The forward P/E of roughly ~23x sits below its own five-year average closer to ~27x but at a premium to several utility peers, a gap the market ties to its ~33 GW backlog and growth profile. Figures are approximate, drawn from the Q1 2026 release and public market data, and move with the share price.

SRE. Sempra trades largely on its regulated earnings growth, dividend, and sensitivity to interest rates rather than on rapid revenue expansion. Utilities like Sempra are often valued on earnings growth plus yield, so the stock tends to strengthen when rates fall and weaken when rates rise. Regulatory rate decisions, capital investment plans, and the progress of LNG projects are the main swing factors. Figures are approximate and change with each quarter and with regulatory and market conditions; verify current numbers before relying on them.

Headline figures (approximate, 2026-06-27): NEE shows revenue (ttm) ~$27.9B, adjusted eps guidance (fy2026) ~$3.92 to ~$4.02, dividend yield ~2.7%, adjusted eps growth target ~8%-plus per year through 2032; SRE shows revenue (2025) ~$13.7 billion, 2026 eps guidance ~$4.25 to $4.65 (adjusted, company guidance), core business regulated electric and gas utilities, california utilities SDG&E and SoCalGas.

NEE and SRE are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined NEE and SRE exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.