NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG) has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 5.24% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 18.49%. Currently, NRG Energy has a market capitalization of $17.75 billion.

Buying $100 In NRG: If an investor had bought $100 of NRG stock 5 years ago, it would be worth $234.21 today based on a price of $86.00 for NRG at the time of writing.

NRG Energy's Performance Over Last 5 Years

Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.

This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.