Jason Luongo
Growth-Stock Options Trader, LEAPS & Income Strategies
Vistra's contracted growth over the next 18-24 months is not yet in its numbers. It has about 3,800MW of 20-year nuclear agreements with Meta and Amazon: Meta purchases across three plants start late this year and Amazon's 1,200MW Comanche Peak deal delivers from late 2027. It is also buying about 5,500MW of Cogentrix gas plants, and its $7.4-7.8B 2027 EBITDA range excludes both Cogentrix and the Meta contracts. It is 94% hedged for 2027 and 72% for 2028. x.comÂ
Vistra is a great long-term buy at about 13x forward earnings, 30% below its high. Adjusted EBITDA grew 31% last quarter and 2026 guidance of $6.8-7.6B was reaffirmed, while buybacks have cut the share count 30% since 2021. Meta signed 20-year deals for 2,609 MW and AWS took up to 1,200 MW from Comanche Peak. The CEO bought stock on the open market in August. x.comÂ
Vistra's shift toward long-term hyperscaler contracts may warrant a higher multiple than its roughly 14x forward earnings, versus about 21x for Constellation. Its 3.8 GW of nuclear commitments with Meta and Amazon could reduce exposure to volatile wholesale prices; Lotus added 2.6 GW of gas capacity and the pending Cogentrix deal could add 5.5 GW. Further contracts and controlled leverage remain important to the upside case. x.comÂ
Vistra is one of the best value investments in the market, positioned at power, the largest bottleneck in the AI buildout. It reaffirmed 2026 guidance of $6.8-7.6 billion adjusted EBITDA and $3.9-4.7 billion free cash flow, about 16x forward earnings and 9x EV/EBITDA, with 97%+ fleet availability through summer heat. Upside beyond that guidance comes from a 20-year, 2,609 MW nuclear deal with Meta, the $4.7 billion Cogentrix gas acquisition and a role powering Helix Digital Infrastructure. x.comÂ
Vistra goes on the too-hard pile because its value depends on the 2028+ power curve, which is very hard to price. Sector tailwinds are clear and it is well positioned for rising US power demand, but its ever-changing portfolio, complex hedging and three businesses in one make it hard to understand. P/E is the wrong lens; on 2027 numbers it looks cheap, at 8.8x EV/EBITDA and an 11.6% free cash flow yield before growth, but only because those years are fully hedged. x.comÂ
Vistra's story is easy to understand: AI data centers need far more power, and Vistra already owns the power plants. AWS and Meta have signed long-term nuclear deals for about 3.8 GW, some of whose upside isn't even in 2027 guidance yet, so demand is obvious before earnings fully catch up. x.comÂ
Vistra's Cogentrix deal offers cash-flow upside beyond the 2027 EBITDA opportunity Wall Street is underwriting. The 5.5 GW acquisition is expected to take its portfolio to roughly 50 GW; Vistra says it should deliver mid-single-digit free cash flow per share accretion in 2027 and high-single-digit accretion on average through 2029. Closing is the next bullish catalyst; Vistra's $7.4B-$7.8B 2027 EBITDA opportunity excludes Cogentrix. x.comÂ
Vistra, Constellation Energy and Talen Energy are now AI-infrastructure plays, not safety stocks, so they will likely move with AI sentiment and lag the S&P 500 long term. Buyers want data-center exposure, not dividends or recession safety, while the companies carry heavy debt, anemic revenue growth, margins that may not last, and fire, environmental and nuclear liability. All are hostage to high rates; Quanta and MasTec ride the same theme with fewer things that can go wrong. x.com x.com x.com … Show more
Vistra's roughly $4.2B in government financing to upgrade three of its four nuclear plants is very bullish, because nuclear power is growing scarce while AI data-center demand explodes. As an unregulated power producer, Vistra has more exposure to market-based electricity prices. The AI trade is becoming a power trade, and more nuclear deals should follow. x.com x.comÂ
Power producers with direct hyperscaler supply deals, like Vistra and Constellation Energy, capture more AI value than most neocloud operators, because power is the binding constraint; Microsoft's CEO says it is power-constrained, not chip-constrained. Data centers need 24/7 power that solar and wind can't provide, creating a nuclear and gas premium only partly priced in. Vistra guides 2026 EBITDA of $6.8-7.6B and free cash flow of $3.9-4.7B with demand locked in; the discount has narrowed. … Show more
Vistra's $4 billion government loan to expand its nuclear capacity is big news, yet the stock barely reacted before the close and rose almost 3% only after hours. Its large nuclear power deal with Meta is also due to start deliveries this quarter. x.com x.comÂ
Vistra remains attractive as the DOE issues a $4.2 billion loan to expand its nuclear fleet. That adds to its existing case: about 3.8 GW of nuclear locked into 20-year contracts with Amazon and Meta, a preferred-power-partner role for Helix's AI data centers, added capacity from Cogentrix and reaffirmed 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance of $6.8-7.6B. Contracted cash flow and compounding power demand underpin the stock. x.comÂ
