Calpine's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Calpine (CPN) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Calpine vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 8,910M vs 1,668M combined for tracked competitors (84.2% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-21.7% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs decelerating (-27.2%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Calpine generated -32.9% revenue growth year over year in Q2 2020, vs -16.1% for its tracked competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 9.4% net margin compares with 17.2% for the peer group.
- Peer revenue share: Calpine accounted for 85.2% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 87.8% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $4.30M compares with $0.92M for the peer group (4.7x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
CPN Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2020
Calpine reported revenue contraction of 32.90 % year on year in Q2 2020, below its competitors' combined revenue change of -16.13 %.
With a net margin of 9.35 %, Calpine reported lower profitability than its competitors (17.15 %).
Calpine generated 85.18 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 87.78 % a year earlier.
Calpine vs. its Competitors, Q2 2020
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in an SEC filing; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Calpine and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Calpine Corp | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (2) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (6) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Calpine's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Electric Utilities industry grew revenue 13.3% year over year, combined, vs -32.9% for Calpine. Calpine's share of combined industry revenue moved from 0.63% to 0.37%, a loss of 0.26 percentage points.
Calpine's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calpine Corp | Yes | No | No | No |
| Competitors combined (2) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (2) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 87.50 % (7 of 8) | 12.50 % (1 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 8) | 57.10 % (4 of 7) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
CPN Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
CPN Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
CPN Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ormat Technologies Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Calpine's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Publicly Traded Peers of Calpine Corp
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| Calpine Corp | - | 8,910.00 |
| Ormat Technologies Inc | 5,650.57 | 1,188.00 |
| Via Renewables Inc | 187.62 | 480.22 |
| SUBTOTAL | 5,838.19 | 10,578.22 |
Sources: Calpine Corp's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Calpine Corp versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Calpine's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from SEC filings and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Ormat Technologies Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| Via Renewables Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
Filing basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Calpine's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: relationships are extracted from SEC filings (named-competitor disclosures) and corroborating sources. Named by the company = explicitly disclosed as a competitor; Inferred = derived from corroborating signals. Confidence reflects evidence strength.
Calpine's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Ormat Technologies Inc | Electricity 45.02 % |
| Via Renewables Inc | Retail Electricity 54.62 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
Calpine's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calpine Corp | - | 4,304,348 | 305,797 |
| Ormat Technologies Inc | 5,651 | 720,871 | 77,903 |
| Via Renewables Inc | 188 | 2,964,340 | 116,235 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 5,838 | 921,668 | 81,334 |
Calpine's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent filing. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Ormat Technologies Inc | Non-US 55.86 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
Calpine's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 65 companies in Calpine's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Calpine ranks #0 of 65 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.00 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 440, indicating a unconcentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nextera Energy Inc | 157,777 | 11.75 % |
| 2 | The Southern Company | 92,857 | 6.91 % |
| 3 | Constellation Energy Corporation | 92,132 | 6.86 % |
| 4 | Duke Energy Corporation | 88,140 | 6.56 % |
| 5 | American Electric Power Co Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Dominion Energy Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Sempra | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Vistra Corp | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Entergy Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Xcel Energy Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 0 | Calpine Corp | - | 0.00 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Calpine's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-05-06.
Calpine's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Electric Utilities industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (83 companies).| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 37.80 % | 58.29 % (avg) | -20.5 pp |
| Operating Margin | 16.29 % | industry median | -3.3 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 19.93 % | 27.06 % (avg) | -7.1 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 6.73 % | 34.89 % (avg) | -28.2 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Calpine's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | - | 41.57 % | -19.40 % | 3.77 % | 30.32 % | 8.68 % | 5.89 % |
| Operating Margin | 8.18 % | 24.77 % | 13.21 % | 12.49 % | 4.32 % | 8.01 % | 15.81 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 2.45 % | 26.38 % | 4.57 % | 4.47 % | 2.07 % | 4.46 % | 9.05 % |
| P/E | - | - | 21.4x | 45.1x | - | - | - |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Calpine's Strategic Group Map
Every company in Calpine's industry and named-competitor list, plotted by trailing 12-month revenue growth and operating margin. Calpine is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC (the Similar Growth & Profitability group above) are labeled.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Calpine's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | High | Industry HHI of 440 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | Lower than typical for the industry | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 6.73 % vs industry average 34.89 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See Calpine's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See Calpine's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
Calpine's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
Calpine falls in the Medium attractiveness / Low strength cell: Harvest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Calpine's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Return on equity 14.0 points above the industry aggregate.
- Outperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
Weaknesses
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-21.7% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Opportunities
No rule matched.
Threats
- Tracked peer group's revenue run-rate is broadly decelerating (-27.2% annualized).
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
Calpine's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calpine Corp | 0.53 | 1.44 | 3.83 |
| Ormat Technologies Inc | 0.56 | 0.95 | 0.33 |
| Via Renewables Inc | 0.84 | 2.85 | 1.49 |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Calpine's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calpine Corp | Q2 2020 | -32.9 % | -39.6 % |
| Ormat Technologies Inc | Q2 2026 | +10.6 % | -7.7 % |
| Via Renewables Inc | Q1 2026 | +11.8 % | -90.7 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | -27.3 % | -39.8 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Calpine's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calpine Corp | Q2 2020 | -41.6 % | +14.9 % |
| Ormat Technologies Inc | Q2 2026 | +7.4 % | +2.4 % |
| Via Renewables Inc | Q1 2026 | +39.0 % | -98.3 % |
Calpine's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calpine Corp | 3.90% | 4.42% | 21.77% |
| Ormat Technologies Inc | 1.98% | 2.21% | 4.77% |
| Via Renewables Inc | 5.91% | 7.40% | 24.64% |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Calpine's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Calpine Corp | - | - |
| Ormat Technologies Inc | 43.23 | 4.76 |
| Via Renewables Inc | 26.97 | 0.39 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 7.48 | 0.55 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.