LIVE
PLUG
Plug Power Inc. · Industrials / Energy - Hydrogen Fuel Cells
$2.85
-13.90% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
BE
Bloom Energy Corporation · Industrials / Energy - Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
$328.91
+25.86% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
PLUG
2
BE
2
Comparison scoreboard
MIXED SETUPAI Score
PLUG 36.3
BE ✓61.6
1Y Return
PLUG +150.00%
BE ✓+1429.81%
Fwd P/E
PLUG ✓-17.35
BE 75.66
Target Up.
PLUG ✓+26.86%
BE -19.84%
Op. Margin
PLUG N/A
BE N/A
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
PLUG vs BE Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
PLUG and BE are two fuel cell companies pursuing different technology approaches and market applications — Plug Power using PEM fuel cells for hydrogen mobility and material handling, and Bloom Energy using solid oxide fuel cells for on-site distributed power generation. Both have been commercially operating for years but continue to struggle with sustained profitability.
PLUG vs BE compares two fuel cell pioneers using different technologies and targeting different markets, both representing bets on alternative power generation with persistent profitability challenges.
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
PLUG and BE are closely matched — they split the tracked metrics evenly. BE has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+1429.81% vs +150.00%), though PLUG trades at the lower forward P/E (-17.35x vs 75.66x). Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for PLUG (+26.86%) than for BE (-19.84%).
Normalized 1Y performance
PLUG
BE
Recent returns
PLUG
BE
Analyst price targets & sentiment
PLUG · 16 analysts
Price target range
analyst low$0.75
analyst high$7.00
analyst mean$3.62
current price$2.85
+26.9% upside to analyst mean
BE · 25 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.3/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$55.00
analyst high$335.00
analyst mean$263.65
current price$328.91
-19.8% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
PLUG may suit investors who:
- →Want exposure to hydrogen economy development across fuel cells, electrolyzers, and infrastructure
- →Believe the logistics and material handling fuel cell market will sustain Plug's commercial base
- →See potential in Plug's vertical integration into hydrogen production and fueling infrastructure
BE may suit investors who:
- →Want exposure to on-site distributed power generation using solid oxide fuel cells
- →Value Bloom's existing commercial customer base in data centers, hospitals, and manufacturing
- →Believe solid oxide technology's fuel flexibility (including eventual hydrogen) provides long-term adaptability
Performance & AI score
| Metric | PLUG | BE |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 36.3 | 61.6 |
| AI rank | #1516 | #134 |
| Latest close | $2.85 | $328.91 |
| 1M return | -13.90% | +25.86% |
| 6M return | +31.94% | +327.32% |
| 1Y return | +150.00% | +1429.81% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | PLUG | BE |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $25K (+150.0%) started 2025-06-18 | $152.98K (+1429.8%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $977.03 (-90.2%) started 2021-06-18 | $133.43K (+1234.3%) started 2021-06-18 |
| 10Y ago | $15.83K (+58.3%) started 2016-06-20 | $131.56K (+1215.6%) started 2018-07-25 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | PLUG | BE |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $3.98B | $93.56B |
| Trailing P/E | N/A | N/A |
| Forward P/E | -17.35 | 75.66 |
| Price/Sales | 5.37 | 38.20 |
| EV/Revenue | 6.19 | 32.82 |
| Analyst target | $3.62 | $263.65 |
| Target upside | +26.86% | -19.84% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | PLUG | BE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 22.30% | 130.40% |
| Earnings growth | N/A | N/A |
| EPS growth | N/A | N/A |
| FCF margin | -55.07% | +10.84% |
| Operating margin | N/A | N/A |
| Profit margin | -227.13% | 0.25% |
| ROIC proxy | -128.79% | 1.29% |
| Return on equity | -128.79% | 1.29% |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Beta | 2.12 | 3.75 |
| Debt/equity | 130.53 | 311.48 |
| Current ratio | 2.36 | 5.03 |
| Quick ratio | 0.90 | 3.98 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
PLUG max drawdown56.66%
BE max drawdown45.94%
PLUG max wkly drop30.40%
BE max wkly drop26.41%
5Y risk snapshot
PLUG max drawdown98.43%
BE max drawdown75.87%
PLUG max wkly drop46.68%
BE max wkly drop40.25%
10Y risk snapshot
PLUG max drawdown99.04%
BE max drawdown92.54%
PLUG max wkly drop46.68%
BE max wkly drop59.87%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | PLUG | BE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +150.00% | +1429.81% |
| CAGR | +150.16% | +1432.67% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.32 | 3.03 | |
| Max drawdown | 56.66% | 45.94% | |
| Max daily drop | 11.21% | 18.28% | |
| Max wkly drop | 30.40% | 26.41% | |
| 5Y | Growth | -90.23% | +1234.32% |
| CAGR | -37.20% | +67.91% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.08 | 0.96 | |
| Max drawdown | 98.43% | 75.87% | |
| Max daily drop | 40.47% | 24.79% | |
| Max wkly drop | 46.68% | 40.25% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +58.33% | +1215.64% |
| CAGR | +4.71% | +38.58% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.43 | 0.76 | |
| Max drawdown | 99.04% | 92.54% | |
| Max daily drop | 40.47% | 42.50% | |
| Max wkly drop | 46.68% | 59.87% |
Business comparison
| Category | PLUG | BE |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Plug Power Inc. | Bloom Energy Corporation |
| Sector | Industrials / Energy - Hydrogen Fuel Cells | Industrials / Energy - Solid Oxide Fuel Cells |
| Industry | N/A | N/A |
| Core business | Plug Power develops and manufactures hydrogen fuel cell systems, primarily proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells used to power electric forklifts in warehouses and distribution centers, with expansion into hydrogen production, electrolyzers, and hydrogen infrastructure. | Bloom Energy develops and manufactures solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) energy servers, providing on-site distributed power generation for commercial and industrial customers, operating on natural gas, biogas, or hydrogen fuel. |
| Investor focus | Investors track Plug Power's revenue growth, hydrogen production and electrolyzer business development, path to profitability (historically very challenging), and cash burn and financing needs. | Investors track Bloom's energy server installations and contracted backlog, gross margin improvement as manufacturing scales, and expansion into electrolysis applications using its solid oxide technology. |
PLUG strengths
- →Established commercial deployment in the material handling forklift fuel cell market with major customers like Amazon and Walmart
- →Vertically integrating into hydrogen production and distribution infrastructure provides a more complete customer solution
- →Long-term hydrogen economy development is a potential multi-decade tailwind
BE strengths
- →Solid oxide fuel cell technology provides highly efficient baseload power generation for commercial and industrial applications
- →On-site distributed generation addresses reliability, resiliency, and cost concerns for large facilities
- →Technology can operate on multiple fuel types including natural gas, biogas, and eventually hydrogen
Risks to watch — PLUG
- →Significant and persistent operating losses and cash burn have been a major concern for investors
- →Hydrogen production and infrastructure buildout has been more complex and capital-intensive than expected
- →Filed going-concern warnings in 2023, creating substantial investor anxiety about financial viability
Risks to watch — BE
- →Bloom has also carried significant losses and required ongoing capital raising despite a decade of commercial operation
- →Competition from both traditional backup power solutions and other fuel cell technologies
- →Solid oxide fuel cells require high operating temperatures and complex stack management
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