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Meridian Energy Limited

MEZ.AX
41
Renewable Utilities · Utilities
Price
A$4.69
+0.14 (+3.08%)
Market Cap
A$12.38B
Exchange
Australian Securities Exchange
Winston Score
41
Winston is serious
Mixed quality — meaningful strengths and weaknesses.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Dec 31, 2025
How the score breaks down
Quality
Mixed
Growth
Weak
Cash Flow
Weak
Stability
Strong
Valuation
Data not available
Dividends
Strong

Share count rising — dilution

+1.6% over 4y

The company has issued more shares over this period, which dilutes each existing shareholder’s stake.

Diluted shares outstanding: 2.56B (2021) → 2.60B (2025)

Winston Score History

The full picture

Meridian Energy is a New Zealand electricity company that generates power almost entirely from renewable sources, mainly hydro dams and wind farms. It sells electricity to homes, businesses, and farms across New Zealand, and also owns the Powershop retail brand. Meridian is the largest renewable electricity generator in New Zealand by output.

The company makes money by generating electricity and selling it directly to customers through retail contracts, as well as selling wholesale power into the grid. It operates primarily in New Zealand, with some wind energy assets in Australia, and earns roughly NZD 3–4 billion in annual revenue. Its main competitive advantage is its large portfolio of hydro assets, which have low running costs and are difficult to replicate. The key risk is that hydro generation depends heavily on rainfall, meaning dry years can significantly reduce output and squeeze margins.

Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

-11.7% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Revenue declining

EPS Growth

+285.2% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

EPS growth accelerating

R&D Spend

NZ$0/ year

0.0% of revenue

Below sector average (1%)

Research and development spending

Insider Activity

50.7%ownership

Flat

Insider ownership roughly steady over the past year

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

NZ$633M cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

→ Burn rate stable

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Revenue declining

Meridian Energy Limited's revenue is actually shrinking. In a growth stock, that removes the core investment thesis. The low Winston Score here may be warranted — unless there's a turnaround story.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

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Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
25.3%
Modest — 25.3% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
21.0%
Excellent — 21.0% operating margin
Return on the money invested
ROCE
5.3%
Weak — 5.3% return on capital

ROIC between 5% and 15%. They earn 5 to 15 cents back per year on every dollar invested.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
-8.6%
Shrinking sales (-8.6% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
-196.7%
Earnings shrinking (-196.7% YoY)

Earnings per share down more than 10%. Either a bad year, or a real decline.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
4/8 quarters
Earnings inconsistent quarter-to-quarter

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
N/A
Data not available
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
10.8%
Modest free cash flow (10.8%)

FCF margin between 10% and 20%. Every $100 in sales becomes $10 to $20 in real cash.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
0.21
Conservative — low debt load (0.21)
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
6.44x
Adequate interest coverage (6.4x)

Interest coverage between 3 and 8. Profits cover interest several times over.

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
N/M
Negative earnings — P/E not meaningful
Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
N/A
not available
Data not available

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Dividends

Dividend
Dividend Yield
3.96%
Moderate income — 3.96% yield

Standard yield zone for stable dividend payers. A meaningful piece of total return.

Dividend record
Dividend Growth
+15.9%
Dividend growing fast (15.9% YoY)

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