Industry Overview - The Zacks Alternate Energy- Other industry is gaining importance as countries work to reduce fossil-fuel dependence and curb emissions in the power sector [1] - Fuel-cell systems are emerging as a promising solution, generating electricity through a hydrogen-oxygen reaction that produces only water and heat, offering an efficient alternative to combustion-based power sources [1] Company Focus: Bloom Energy Corporation (BE) - Bloom Energy utilizes solid-oxide fuel cell technology to provide clean, reliable power through its Energy Server platform, which minimizes grid losses and scales from kilowatts to megawatts [3] - The company is well positioned for sustained revenue growth and margin expansion due to rising demand for decarbonization, grid resilience, and hydrogen solutions [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Bloom Energy's earnings per share in 2026 has increased year-over-year by 78.75%, with long-term earnings growth projected at 25% [6] - Bloom Energy's current return on equity (ROE) is 29.39%, indicating stronger capital efficiency compared to its competitor [12] - Over the past six months, Bloom Energy's stock has soared 316%, benefiting from rising demand for clean power [13] Company Focus: Plug Power Inc. (PLUG) - Plug Power provides clean energy through hydrogen fuel cell technology, enhancing efficiency in material-handling equipment with fast refueling and longer run times [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Plug Power's earnings per share in 2026 has increased year-over-year by 55.7% [7] - Plug Power's current ROE is negative at -105.98%, highlighting challenges in capital efficiency [12] - Despite near-term profitability and execution hurdles, Plug Power is positioned to capitalize on logistics decarbonization and clean energy adoption [4] Financial Metrics Comparison - Bloom Energy's debt-to-capital ratio stands at 66.43%, significantly higher than Plug Power's 19.05%, indicating a greater reliance on debt for operations [10] - The price-to-sales ratio for Bloom Energy is 13.37X, while for Plug Power it is 3.77X, suggesting that investors are willing to pay more for Bloom Energy's sales [11] Summary of Investment Potential - Both Bloom Energy and Plug Power are investing in research and utilizing fuel cell technology to provide reliable power [16] - Bloom Energy's stronger earnings estimates, higher ROE, and solid price performance make it a more attractive investment compared to Plug Power, despite both companies currently holding a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) [16]

Industry Overview - Companies in the Zacks Alternate Energy-Other industry are gaining importance as nations aim to reduce fossil fuel reliance and lower emissions from electricity generation [1] - Fuel-cell systems are emerging as a promising clean technology, producing electricity through an electrochemical reaction with hydrogen and oxygen, resulting in water and heat as byproducts [1] Company Focus: Bloom Energy Corporation (BE) - Bloom Energy utilizes solid-oxide fuel cell technology to generate clean electricity, capitalizing on its Energy Server system that connects directly to customers' electrical feeds [3] - The modular design of Bloom Energy's systems allows for scalable capacity from hundreds of kilowatts to several hundred megawatts, providing continuous power [3] - The company is well-positioned to benefit from the global shift toward sustainable energy solutions, supporting long-term revenue growth and margin expansion [3] Company Focus: Plug Power Inc. (PLUG) - Plug Power employs hydrogen fuel cell technology, particularly through its GenDrive systems designed for material handling equipment, offering efficiency advantages over conventional battery solutions [4] - The company is positioned for sustained long-term growth driven by the shift to clean energy and the need to decarbonize logistics, despite facing near-term profitability challenges [4] Earnings Growth Projections - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Bloom Energy's earnings per share in 2025 and 2026 has increased by 71.43% and 51.04% year-over-year, respectively, with a long-term growth projection of 28.02% [6] - For Plug Power, the earnings per share estimates for 2025 and 2026 have increased by 77.24% and 41.76% year-over-year, respectively [13] Financial Performance Metrics - Bloom Energy's return on equity (ROE) is 6.8%, significantly higher than Plug Power's ROE of -90.22% [7][9] - Bloom Energy's times interest earned (TIE) ratio is 1.4, indicating financial flexibility to meet interest obligations, while Plug Power's TIE ratio is -36.1, suggesting challenges in meeting debt obligations [11] - Bloom Energy's debt-to-capital ratio stands at 69.05%, compared to Plug Power's 28.18%, indicating a higher reliance on debt for operations [10] Valuation Metrics - The price-to-sales ratio for Bloom Energy is 9.91X, while Plug Power's is 3.73X, reflecting different valuations by investors [12] Price Performance - Over the last year, Bloom Energy's stock has increased by 694.4%, outperforming Plug Power's 32.5% increase, driven by rising demand for clean power from data centers [14] Conclusion - Bloom Energy's stronger earnings estimates, higher ROE, and better TIE ratio position it as a more favorable investment compared to Plug Power within the fuel cell technology sector [17]