ATO vs. VST: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ATO and VST, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
VST’s market capitalization of 65.22 billion USD is significantly greater than ATO’s 24.19 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
VST carries a higher beta at 1.25, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while ATO (beta: 0.70) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | ATO | VST |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Atmos Energy Corporation | Vistra Corp. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Utilities | Utilities |
| Industry | Regulated Gas | Independent Power Producers |
| CEO | John Kevin Akers | James A. Burke CPA |
| Price | 152.28 USD | 192.2 USD |
| Market Cap | 24.19 billion USD | 65.22 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.70 | 1.25 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | December 28, 1983 | October 5, 2016 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ATO and VST by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ATO
9.05%
Regulated Gas Industry
- Max
- 11.45%
- Q3
- 11.45%
- Median
- 9.01%
- Q1
- 7.53%
- Min
- 6.41%
ATO’s Return on Equity of 9.05% is on par with the norm for the Regulated Gas industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
VST
45.28%
Independent Power Producers Industry
- Max
- 47.87%
- Q3
- 44.92%
- Median
- 37.16%
- Q1
- 23.52%
- Min
- 2.99%
In the upper quartile for the Independent Power Producers industry, VST’s Return on Equity of 45.28% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Return on Invested Capital
ATO
4.73%
Regulated Gas Industry
- Max
- 8.99%
- Q3
- 5.97%
- Median
- 4.43%
- Q1
- 0.25%
- Min
- 0.00%
ATO’s Return on Invested Capital of 4.73% is in line with the norm for the Regulated Gas industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
VST
10.63%
Independent Power Producers Industry
- Max
- 12.59%
- Q3
- 7.91%
- Median
- 1.68%
- Q1
- 1.19%
- Min
- -2.93%
In the upper quartile for the Independent Power Producers industry, VST’s Return on Invested Capital of 10.63% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
Net Profit Margin
ATO
25.35%
Regulated Gas Industry
- Max
- 25.35%
- Q3
- 14.67%
- Median
- 8.48%
- Q1
- 4.66%
- Min
- -6.69%
A Net Profit Margin of 25.35% places ATO in the upper quartile for the Regulated Gas industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
VST
13.40%
Independent Power Producers Industry
- Max
- 33.58%
- Q3
- 32.41%
- Median
- 13.40%
- Q1
- 3.33%
- Min
- -15.14%
VST’s Net Profit Margin of 13.40% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Independent Power Producers industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin
ATO
33.30%
Regulated Gas Industry
- Max
- 45.15%
- Q3
- 28.16%
- Median
- 19.42%
- Q1
- 14.26%
- Min
- 3.90%
An Operating Profit Margin of 33.30% places ATO in the upper quartile for the Regulated Gas industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
VST
21.41%
Independent Power Producers Industry
- Max
- 21.41%
- Q3
- 17.04%
- Median
- 9.17%
- Q1
- 6.05%
- Min
- 5.60%
An Operating Profit Margin of 21.41% places VST in the upper quartile for the Independent Power Producers industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | VST |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 9.05% | 45.28% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 4.21% | 6.35% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 4.73% | 10.63% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 25.35% | 13.40% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 33.30% | 21.41% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 54.44% | 41.31% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ATO
1.33
Regulated Gas Industry
- Max
- 1.57
- Q3
- 1.15
- Median
- 1.00
- Q1
- 0.69
- Min
- 0.38
ATO’s Current Ratio of 1.33 is in the upper quartile for the Regulated Gas industry. This signifies a strong liquidity position, suggesting the company is well-equipped to cover its immediate liabilities compared to its peers.
VST
0.86
Independent Power Producers Industry
- Max
- 1.85
- Q3
- 1.84
- Median
- 1.62
- Q1
- 0.96
- Min
- 0.84
VST’s Current Ratio of 0.86 falls into the lower quartile for the Independent Power Producers industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ATO
0.65
Regulated Gas Industry
- Max
- 1.67
- Q3
- 1.53
- Median
- 1.38
- Q1
- 0.83
- Min
- 0.02
Falling into the lower quartile for the Regulated Gas industry, ATO’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.65 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
VST
3.67
Independent Power Producers Industry
- Max
- 3.96
- Q3
- 3.42
- Median
- 2.61
- Q1
- 1.23
- Min
- 0.64
VST’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Independent Power Producers industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 3.67. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ATO
8.02
Regulated Gas Industry
- Max
- 4.65
- Q3
- 3.07
- Median
- 2.65
- Q1
- 1.77
- Min
- 1.22
With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 8.02, ATO demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Regulated Gas industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.
VST
4.28
Independent Power Producers Industry
- Max
- 4.38
- Q3
- 3.24
- Median
- 1.20
- Q1
- 0.44
- Min
- -1.77
VST’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 4.28 is in the upper quartile for the Independent Power Producers industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | VST |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.33 | 0.86 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.25 | 0.77 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.65 | 3.67 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.32 | 0.46 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 3.49 | 2.53 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 8.02 | 4.28 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ATO and VST. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ATO
2.24%
Regulated Gas Industry
- Max
- 6.99%
- Q3
- 4.15%
- Median
- 4.00%
- Q1
- 2.73%
- Min
- 0.00%
ATO’s Dividend Yield of 2.24% is in the lower quartile for the Regulated Gas industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
VST
0.46%
Independent Power Producers Industry
- Max
- 12.31%
- Q3
- 1.36%
- Median
- 0.46%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
VST’s Dividend Yield of 0.46% is consistent with its peers in the Independent Power Producers industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ATO
46.20%
Regulated Gas Industry
- Max
- 87.89%
- Q3
- 74.00%
- Median
- 60.41%
- Q1
- 45.73%
- Min
- 0.00%
ATO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 46.20% is within the typical range for the Regulated Gas industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
VST
20.82%
Independent Power Producers Industry
- Max
- 233.96%
- Q3
- 32.48%
- Median
- 25.36%
- Q1
- 5.20%
- Min
- 0.00%
VST’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 20.82% is within the typical range for the Independent Power Producers industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | VST |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.24% | 0.46% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 46.20% | 20.82% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ATO
21.32
Regulated Gas Industry
- Max
- 23.74
- Q3
- 22.05
- Median
- 16.86
- Q1
- 15.06
- Min
- 10.79
ATO’s P/E Ratio of 21.32 is within the middle range for the Regulated Gas industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
VST
26.92
Independent Power Producers Industry
- Max
- 27.32
- Q3
- 26.49
- Median
- 23.81
- Q1
- 10.35
- Min
- 3.54
A P/E Ratio of 26.92 places VST in the upper quartile for the Independent Power Producers industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ATO
3.14
Regulated Gas Industry
- Max
- 3.70
- Q3
- 3.36
- Median
- 3.17
- Q1
- 2.55
- Min
- 2.21
ATO’s Forward PEG Ratio of 3.14 is within the middle range of its peers in the Regulated Gas industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
VST
0.79
Independent Power Producers Industry
- Max
- 5.73
- Q3
- 4.40
- Median
- 2.18
- Q1
- 1.13
- Min
- 0.32
In the lower quartile for the Independent Power Producers industry, VST’s Forward PEG Ratio of 0.79 is a positive indicator. It suggests that the stock may be attractively valued relative to its expected earnings growth.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ATO
5.39
Regulated Gas Industry
- Max
- 3.36
- Q3
- 2.16
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 1.06
- Min
- 0.32
With a P/S Ratio of 5.39, ATO trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Regulated Gas industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
VST
3.60
Independent Power Producers Industry
- Max
- 3.66
- Q3
- 3.17
- Median
- 1.99
- Q1
- 1.36
- Min
- 0.62
VST’s P/S Ratio of 3.60 is in the upper echelon for the Independent Power Producers industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ATO
1.84
Regulated Gas Industry
- Max
- 2.11
- Q3
- 1.88
- Median
- 1.55
- Q1
- 1.24
- Min
- 1.10
ATO’s P/B Ratio of 1.84 is within the conventional range for the Regulated Gas industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
VST
13.54
Independent Power Producers Industry
- Max
- 13.74
- Q3
- 11.59
- Median
- 7.05
- Q1
- 1.63
- Min
- 1.18
VST’s P/B Ratio of 13.54 is in the upper tier for the Independent Power Producers industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ATO | VST |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 21.32 | 26.92 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.14 | 0.79 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 5.39 | 3.60 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 1.84 | 13.54 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | -18.53 | 26.42 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 14.09 | 12.15 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 7.17 | 4.55 |