Alliant Energy (NASDAQ:LNT – Get Free Report) and Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR – Get Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, risk, dividends, institutional ownership and profitability.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
79.9% of Alliant Energy shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.3% of Alliant Energy shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.5% of Portland General Electric shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Profitability
This table compares Alliant Energy and Portland General Electric’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Alliant Energy | 18.57% | 11.51% | 3.45% |
| Portland General Electric | 8.56% | 8.52% | 2.60% |
Valuation and Earnings
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Alliant Energy | $4.36 billion | 4.33 | $810.00 million | $3.15 | 23.22 |
| Portland General Electric | $3.58 billion | 1.74 | $306.00 million | $2.77 | 19.42 |
Alliant Energy has higher revenue and earnings than Portland General Electric. Portland General Electric is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Alliant Energy, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Dividends
Alliant Energy pays an annual dividend of $2.14 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.9%. Portland General Electric pays an annual dividend of $2.10 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.9%. Alliant Energy pays out 67.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Portland General Electric pays out 75.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Alliant Energy has increased its dividend for 22 consecutive years and Portland General Electric has increased its dividend for 2 consecutive years.
Volatility and Risk
Alliant Energy has a beta of 0.61, indicating that its stock price is 39% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Portland General Electric has a beta of 0.62, indicating that its stock price is 38% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent ratings for Alliant Energy and Portland General Electric, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Alliant Energy | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 2.75 |
| Portland General Electric | 1 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2.08 |
Alliant Energy presently has a consensus price target of $75.44, suggesting a potential upside of 3.16%. Portland General Electric has a consensus price target of $50.17, suggesting a potential downside of 6.74%. Given Alliant Energy’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Alliant Energy is more favorable than Portland General Electric.
Summary
Alliant Energy beats Portland General Electric on 14 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Alliant Energy
Alliant Energy Corporation operates as a utility holding company that provides regulated electricity and natural gas services in the United States. It operates in three segments: Utility Electric Operations, Utility Gas Operations, and Utility Other. The company, through its subsidiary, Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), primarily generates and distributes electricity, and distributes and transports natural gas to retail customers in Iowa; sells electricity to wholesale customers in Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa; and generates and distributes steam in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Alliant Energy Corporation, through its other subsidiary, Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL), generates and distributes electricity, and distributes and transports natural gas to retail customers in Wisconsin; and sells electricity to wholesale customers in Wisconsin. It serves retail customers in the farming, agriculture, industrial manufacturing, chemical, packaging, and food industries, as well as wholesale customers comprising municipalities and rural electric cooperatives. In addition, the company owns and operates a short-line rail freight service in Iowa; a Mississippi River barge, rail, and truck freight terminal in Illinois; freight brokerage services; wind turbine blade recycling services; and a rail-served warehouse in Iowa. Further, it holds interests in a natural gas-fired electric generating unit near Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin; and a wind farm located in Oklahoma. The company was formerly known as Interstate Energy Corp. and changed its name to Alliant Energy Corporation in May 1999. Alliant Energy Corporation was incorporated in 1981 and is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin.
About Portland General Electric
Portland General Electric Company, an integrated electric utility company, engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity in the state of Oregon. It operates six thermal plants, three wind farms, and seven hydroelectric facilities. As of December 31, 2023, the company owned an electric transmission system consisting of 1,254 circuit miles, including 287 circuit miles of 500 kilovolt line, 413 circuit miles of 230 kilovolt line, and 554 miles of 115 kilovolt line; and served 934 thousand retail customers in 51 cities. It also has 28,868 circuit miles of distribution lines. Portland General Electric Company was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.
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