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VST
VST
Vistra Corp.

Latest update

$148

Updated: Jun 13, 2026, 10:39 PM UTC

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Metrics

Vistra Corp. (VST) Business and Financial Overview

Vistra Corp. is an integrated retail electricity and power generation company operating in the United States, serving approximately 5 million customers with a generation capacity of 44,000 megawatts from a diversified portfolio including natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery storage. The company has demonstrated strong revenue and net income growth over the last year, with Q1 2026 revenue up 43.4% YoY and net income up 341.6% YoY. Profitability metrics like operating margin (26.6%) and ROE (42.9%) are strong, but the balance sheet shows heavy debt with weak debt service coverage, and free cash flow experienced a significant QoQ decline, though the overall trend is positive. Valuation appears attractive with a forward P/E of 13.5x. Share count is shrinking, and Vistra offers a modest but growing dividend.

Growth pace
How fast the underlying business is moving, quarter by quarter. Hover any tile for the plain-English meaning.

Revenue

The total dollars the company billed customers. When this number grows quarter after quarter, the business is finding more demand.

quarterly

Latest

$5.6B

Q1 2026

The most recent reported figure, in the company's own currency and reporting cadence.

QoQ

+23.0%

vs Q4 2025

How much this quarter grew compared to last quarter. Useful for spotting acceleration or slowdown in real time.

YoY

+43.4%

vs Q1 2025

How much this quarter grew compared to the same quarter one year ago. Strips out seasonality — a slow holiday quarter looks worse QoQ but normal YoY.

CAGR

insufficient history

The smooth yearly growth rate that gets you from the starting value to the current value. A 100% CAGR over 3 years means the business tripled, on average, each year.

Net income

What's left from revenue after paying every cost — employees, materials, taxes, interest. Sometimes called profit or 'the bottom line.'

quarterly

Latest

$1B

Q1 2026

The most recent reported figure, in the company's own currency and reporting cadence.

QoQ

+341.6%

vs Q4 2025

How much this quarter grew compared to last quarter. Useful for spotting acceleration or slowdown in real time.

YoY

vs Q1 2025

How much this quarter grew compared to the same quarter one year ago. Strips out seasonality — a slow holiday quarter looks worse QoQ but normal YoY.

CAGR

insufficient history

The smooth yearly growth rate that gets you from the starting value to the current value. A 100% CAGR over 3 years means the business tripled, on average, each year.

Free cash flow

The cash actually left in the bank after the company has paid for everything and reinvested in itself. Harder to fake than net income.

quarterly

Latest

$316M

Q1 2026

The most recent reported figure, in the company's own currency and reporting cadence.

QoQ

-47.0%

vs Q4 2025

How much this quarter grew compared to last quarter. Useful for spotting acceleration or slowdown in real time.

YoY

vs Q1 2025

How much this quarter grew compared to the same quarter one year ago. Strips out seasonality — a slow holiday quarter looks worse QoQ but normal YoY.

CAGR

insufficient history

The smooth yearly growth rate that gets you from the starting value to the current value. A 100% CAGR over 3 years means the business tripled, on average, each year.

Quarterly revenue, net income & free cash flow
Bars show what the company actually reported each quarter. The growth chart below turns these into the QoQ / YoY pace the rest of this page uses.
Annual growth rate (YoY)
Year-over-year change in full-year totals. Strips out quarterly noise and seasonality so the multi-year trend is visible — not just the last 12 months.
Compound annual growth (CAGR)
The smooth yearly growth rate across each window. The "start → end" line shows the dollar value at the beginning and end of the window.
Metric3 yr2 yr1 yr
Revenue
+43.4%
$3.9B$5.6B
Net income
+361.0%
$327M$1B
Free cash flow
Valuation — P/E

P/E TTM

24.8×

Trailing twelve months. Today's price divided by the last year of actual earnings.

P/E NTM

13.5×

Next twelve months. Today's price divided by what analysts expect the company to earn over the coming year.

Balance sheet & valuation
The five numbers that decide whether the growth above is safe, sustainable, and reasonably priced. Descriptions on every tile — hover or scroll to read.

Profitability

Strong

Operating margin (and the wider return profile) tells you how efficiently each dollar of sales becomes profit. High and rising = pricing power; low or falling = the business is grinding.

Share count

Shrinking

Are the buybacks outrunning the stock-based comp? A shrinking share count means every existing share owns a bigger slice of future earnings.

Debt load

Heavy

Total debt against cash and earnings power (EBITDA). Light debt leaves room to invest and weather downturns; heavy debt shrinks the margin for error.

Debt service

Weak

Whether the cash the business generates easily covers its interest and loan payments. Strong here = no forced selling in a bad year.

Cash return at today's price

1.0%

Free cash flow divided by market cap — the cash yield you're getting for the price you pay. Above ~6% is rich, below ~3% is thin. P/E shown when the yield is too small to be useful.

What stands out
  • Vistra shows robust recent growth in revenue and net income.
  • Strong profitability and efficiency are evident in operating margins and returns.
  • The company's balance sheet carries a significant debt load with weak debt servicing capacity.
  • Free cash flow, while seasonally volatile, shows a recent quarter-over-quarter decline.
  • Valuation metrics suggest the stock is attractively priced relative to future earnings.
  • Shareholder returns are supported by a shrinking share count and a growing dividend.

Thesis

Why this read

The underlying secular thesis for Vistra remains robust due to its crucial role in providing firm power for AI infrastructure. However, the stock's current price action is weak, consolidating below key moving averages with contracting volume. While the long-term outlook is positive, tactical indicators suggest it's prudent to wait for more constructive price development before initiating new positions. The current setup implies short-term distribution, making a 'WAIT' call appropriate to avoid potential further downside before a clear reversal.

Short-term thesis

Mixed70% convictionv1
Vistra Corp.: A Critical AI Infrastructure Play with Near-Term Consolidation

Vistra is uniquely positioned to benefit from the surging demand for reliable, carbon-free power from AI data centers, leveraging its nuclear and flexible gas generation assets. While the long-term outlook for premium contracts with hyperscalers is strong, driving potential earnings revisions and multiple expansion, the stock is currently undergoing a tactical consolidation. Its robust profitability and shareholder returns underpin its intrinsic value, but heavy debt and weak short-term price action warrant caution in timing an entry.

Long-term exposure

Avoid

The business or valuation backdrop is not ready for long-term conviction.

Entry window

Wait

Vistra is currently in a short-term consolidation phase, trading slightly below key moving averages. While underlying fundamentals remain supportive, the price is not yet showing clear signs of bottoming or a renewed upward trend. We are waiting for more decisive price action or a catalyst before re-engaging.

Risk check

Fragile

The downside can widen quickly if this setup goes wrong.

Alignment

Mixed

Neither horizon fully wins, so size and patience matter.

What supports it

  • Sales and cash still support a long hold.
  • Price still looks reasonable against the business.
  • Margins and returns still support the long hold.
  • Share count has been shrinking instead of diluting holders.

What limits it

  • This needs smaller size or more patience.
  • Balance sheet is carrying real pressure.
  • Debt service looks stretched for current cash generation.
  • Analyst revisions have been net negative over the past month.

Long-term thesis

Vistra is a foundational enabler of the AI revolution, providing the indispensable, firm, and carbon-free power that increasingly constrained data centers will demand, leading to super-normal pricing power.

85opportunity75% thesis conf
Early Adopter5y horizon

Bottleneck Role

Vistra controls critical firm, carbon-free (nuclear) power generation capacity and flexible backup (gas), which is a non-substitutable input for AI data centers requiring 24/7 uninterrupted operation and sustainability commitments.

Consensus Blind Spot

The market is underestimating the strategic value and pricing power of 'behind-the-meter' nuclear and firm generation deals for AI hyperscalers, which will generate higher margins and lead to significant earnings revisions beyond typical utility sector expectations.

Demand Gap

The demand for continuous, high-density, low-carbon power from AI data centers is far outstripping the current supply capabilities of traditional grids, creating a unique and powerful pricing environment for Vistra's assets.

Demand to Equity Scenarios

Bear60% conf

Slower AI adoption / grid constraints

Demand

-10%

Earnings

-15%

Equity implication

-25%

Delayed contract signings, lower premium pricing, increased grid stress limits new connections.

Base80% conf

Consistent AI growth, gradual contract ramp-up

Demand

+20%

Earnings

+10%

Equity implication

+20%

Steady conversion of demand into new long-term contracts, moderate pricing power, incremental capacity development.

Bull75% conf

Accelerated AI demand, severe power scarcity

Demand

+40%

Earnings

+30%

Equity implication

+50%

Rapid, high-value contract signings ('nuclear as a service'), significant pricing power, capacity expansion funded by strong demand, favorable regulatory support.

Dependency Chain

  1. 1Explosive growth in AI applications and compute power
  2. 2Massive increase in data center electricity demand
  3. 3Scarcity of reliable, 24/7, low-carbon baseload power
  4. 4Vistra's assets (nuclear, flexible gas) become a critical bottleneck
  5. 5Ability to command premium, long-term contracts from hyperscalers
  6. 6Significant earnings growth and P/E multiple expansion for Vistra

Repricing Triggers

  • Announcement of new, large-scale, long-term power purchase agreements with hyperscalers.
  • Revised earnings guidance from VST reflecting higher prices or volumes from AI demand.
  • Competitors struggling to meet new data center power requirements, highlighting Vistra's unique position.
  • Reports from industry bodies confirming acute power shortfalls for AI expansion.

Must be true

  • AI data center power demand will continue its aggressive growth trajectory.
  • Nuclear and dispatchable gas generation will remain critical for firm power, especially with ESG mandates.
  • Vistra will successfully negotiate premium pricing for its power output beyond traditional merchant tariffs.
  • Capital deployment (capex for expansion, debt management) remains disciplined.

Thesis broken if

  • Significant slowdown in data center build-outs or AI investment.
  • Rapid development of alternative, scalable firm power solutions.
  • Vistra failing to sign expected premium contracts or reporting continued low average realized prices.
  • Rising debt service costs or inability to refinance debt as it matures.
  • Increased competition offering similar firm power solutions at lower prices.

History

What changed

Since the previous run · 1 month ago
Prior call was neutral

Signal

BUYBUY

Conviction

0.7%70%+69 pts

Long term

Maybe ownAvoidFlipped

Stock

$148.43$148.02-0.3%

Added since last run

8
  • Secular growth theme of AI data center power demand remains strong.
  • Attractive forward P/E at 13.5x.
  • Strong profitability and shareholder-friendly actions (shrinking share count, growing dividend).
  • Significant revenue and net income growth observed in the last year.
  • Stock is trading below key moving averages, indicating short-term weakness.
  • Volume is contracting, suggesting a lack of strong buying interest.
  • Heavy debt load and weak debt service metrics are concerns.
  • QoQ decline in FCF adds a note of caution.

No longer flagged

0

Nothing dropped this run

Model's reflection on the prior call

The prior reasoning correctly identified a pause in momentum following a large price move and suggested waiting for clearer support. The stock made minimal movement since the call, indicating the WAIT call was appropriate by avoiding a premature entry.

Analysis timeline
2 runs

Jun 13, 2026

Latest

Updated Jun 13, 2026, 10:39 PM UTC

WeeklyWAIT
Long termAVOID
Confidence70% · Medium

Price at review

$148

Vistra is currently in a short-term consolidation phase, trading slightly below key moving averages. While underlying fundamentals remain supportive, the price is not yet showing clear signs of bottoming or a renewed upward trend. We are waiting for more decisive price action or a catalyst before re-engaging.

Jun 5, 2026

Updated Jun 5, 2026, 6:45 PM UTC

WeeklyWAIT
Long termWATCH
Confidence70% · Medium

Price at review

$148

The stock is currently losing steam following a large move, suggesting we should wait for a clearer floor.