FCEL vs. BE: Which Hydrogen Power Stock Has Better Potential for Now?

Core Investment Thesis - Hydrogen fuel energy stocks are positioned as a strong long-term investment due to increasing global clean-energy demand, with green and low-carbon hydrogen capable of decarbonizing hard-to-electrify sectors [1][2] Industry Overview - Hydrogen-based electricity generation can alleviate renewable energy intermittency and grid bottlenecks, although it remains in early development stages [2] - The industry is capital-intensive, requiring significant funding for research, development, and large-scale project execution [12] Company Analysis: FuelCell Energy (FCEL) - FuelCell is strategically positioned to benefit from the rising demand for clean, reliable, and distributed power technologies, supported by government incentives and corporate decarbonization efforts [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FCEL's earnings per share shows a year-over-year increase of 1.56% in 2025 and 56.26% in 2026 [6] - FCEL's revenue estimates indicate a year-over-year increase of 34.69% in 2025 and 21.47% in 2026 [7] - FCEL has a lower debt-to-capital ratio of 19.4% compared to Bloom Energy's 62.57%, and trades at a lower Price/Sales (P/S) multiple of 1.07X [8][14][15] Company Analysis: Bloom Energy (BE) - Bloom Energy is well-positioned to meet the demand for low-carbon, on-site power technologies, with solid-oxide fuel cells that provide efficient, ultra-clean electricity [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BE's earnings per share reflects a year-over-year increase of 85.71% in 2025 and 78.75% in 2026 [6] - BE's revenue estimates show a year-over-year increase of 28.60% in 2025 and 37.74% in 2026 [10] - Bloom Energy's shares are trading at a premium with a P/S multiple of 9.4X [15][16] Comparative Analysis - Both FCEL and BE have strong backlogs due to the growing acceptance of fuel cell technology [5] - FCEL shows stronger revenue growth estimates for 2025, while BE leads in EPS growth estimates [8] - In the past month, shares of FCEL have decreased by 24%, while BE's shares have declined by 24.4% [18] Conclusion - Based on the analysis, FuelCell Energy has a slight edge over Bloom Energy due to better sales growth in 2025, lower debt-to-capital ratio, and a more attractive valuation, making it a preferable investment choice at this time [20]