Shares of NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) rose nearly 11% last month, after the company announced fourth-quarter and full-year 2016 earnings and reaffirmed previously issued 2017 guidance on the last day of February. The latest financial results demonstrate that management is executing against short- and long-term goals to return to higher growth rates with a more efficient and slightly smaller company. That has emboldened investors and analysts to be more aggressive with the stock in the oast six months.