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NRG vs. VST: NRG Energy vs. Vistra Stock Comparison

How do NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST) both fall under the Utilities industry group, but NRG is classified in Electric Utilities while VST is classified in Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers.

Company profile comparison for NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST)
Profile ItemNRGVST
NameNRG Energy, Inc.Vistra Corp.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorUtilitiesUtilities
GICS Industry GroupUtilitiesUtilities
GICS IndustryElectric UtilitiesIndependent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers
GICS Sub-IndustryElectric UtilitiesIndependent Power Producers & Energy Traders
Market Capitalization18.56 billion USD42.31 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateDecember 2, 2003October 5, 2016
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

NRG
VST
GSPC
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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST)
MetricNRGVST
Total Return (1Y)-43.14%-30.09%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)31.18%57.95%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)25.79%49.55%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

NRG
VST
GSPC
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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST)
MetricNRGVST
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)52.51%53.39%
Beta (5Y)1.201.38
Max Drawdown (5Y)-55.72%-48.80%
Avg. Volume (3M)3.15M5.98M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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NRG and VST are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST)
MetricNRGVST
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.90-0.64
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-1.19-0.86

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: NRG Energy (NRG) earns 23.77% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Vistra (VST) has no ROE this period.

NRG

Utilities industry group

23.77%

NRG
23.77%
Max
17.99%
Q3
12.01%
Median
9.44%
Q1
7.56%
Min
2.17%

VST

Utilities industry group

--

Max
17.99%
Q3
12.01%
Median
9.44%
Q1
7.56%
Min
2.17%
VST
--
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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST): VST does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; NRG is benchmarked against the Utilities industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

Vistra (VST) at 13.15% keeps about the industry-typical share of revenue as profit, while NRG Energy (NRG) at 2.56% retains only a bottom-quartile share.

NRG

Utilities industry group

2.56%

Max
28.78%
Q3
17.30%
Median
12.73%
Q1
9.18%
NRG
2.56%
Min
-0.20%

VST

Utilities industry group

13.15%

Max
28.78%
Q3
17.30%
VST
13.15%
Median
12.73%
Q1
9.18%
Min
-0.20%
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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST): A comparison of their net margin against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Vistra (VST) at 31.12% runs core operations around its industry’s norm, while NRG Energy (NRG) at 12.77% operates in the bottom quartile.

NRG

Utilities industry group

12.77%

Max
53.83%
Q3
31.12%
Median
23.62%
Q1
15.45%
NRG
12.77%
Min
-4.90%

VST

Utilities industry group

31.12%

Max
53.83%
Q3
31.12%
VST
31.12%
Median
23.62%
Q1
15.45%
Min
-4.90%
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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST): A comparison of their operating margin against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST)
MetricNRGVST
ROE (TTM)23.77%--
ROA (TTM)4.06%--
Net Margin (TTM)2.56%13.15%
Operating Margin (TTM)12.77%31.12%
Gross Margin (TTM)18.80%41.52%

Growth

Revenue Growth

NRG Energy (NRG) at 9.18% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Vistra (VST) at 2.98% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Neither side shows strong earnings momentum: NRG Energy (NRG) at -19.64% sits in the bottom EPS growth quartile, and Vistra (VST) at -69.98% is weaker still, below its industry range.

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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST)
MetricNRGVST
Revenue Growth (YoY)9.18%2.98%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)-0.88%8.92%
EPS Growth (YoY)-19.64%-69.98%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-8.12%--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: NRG Energy (NRG) shows current ratio of 0.97 against its industry benchmark, while Vistra (VST) has no reading this period.

NRG

Utilities industry group

0.97

Max
1.90
Q3
1.17
NRG
0.97
Median
0.88
Q1
0.66
Min
0.29

VST

Utilities industry group

--

Max
1.90
Q3
1.17
Median
0.88
Q1
0.66
Min
0.29
VST
--
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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST): VST does not report current ratio, so it has no value marker; NRG is benchmarked against the Utilities industry group.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Debt sits unusually high against shareholders’ equity for both NRG Energy (NRG) at 4.83 and Vistra (VST) at 3.73 — each debt-to-equity ratio is above its industry benchmark range.

NRG

Utilities industry group

4.83

NRG
4.83
Max
2.63
Q3
1.77
Median
1.35
Q1
0.84
Min
0.00

VST

Utilities industry group

3.73

VST
3.73
Max
2.63
Q3
1.77
Median
1.35
Q1
0.84
Min
0.00
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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST)
MetricNRGVST
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.97--
Debt / Equity (MRQ)4.833.73
Net Debt / EBITDA7.16--

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

NRG Energy (NRG) at 2.32% pays a yield in its industry’s typical range, while Vistra (VST) at 0.20% falls in the bottom quartile of its peers.

NRG

Utilities industry group

2.32%

Max
6.66%
Q3
3.58%
Median
2.85%
NRG
2.32%
Q1
0.66%
Min
0.00%

VST

Utilities industry group

0.20%

Max
6.66%
Q3
3.58%
Median
2.85%
Q1
0.66%
VST
0.20%
Min
0.00%
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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

NRG Energy (NRG) at 47.91% keeps its payout within the industry’s typical band; Vistra (VST) at 15.35% pays out less than peers usually do, retaining more of its earnings — a policy difference more than a quality gap.

NRG

Utilities industry group

47.91%

Max
113.04%
Q3
68.72%
Median
56.38%
NRG
47.91%
Q1
32.38%
Min
0.00%

VST

Utilities industry group

15.35%

Max
113.04%
Q3
68.72%
Median
56.38%
Q1
32.38%
VST
15.35%
Min
0.00%
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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST)
MetricNRGVST
Dividend Yield (TTM)2.32%0.20%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)47.91%15.35%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both NRG Energy (NRG) at 23.11 and Vistra (VST) at 16.80 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

NRG

Utilities industry group

23.11

Max
31.22
Q3
23.30
NRG
23.11
Median
19.64
Q1
15.17
Min
3.34

VST

Utilities industry group

16.80

Max
31.22
Q3
23.30
Median
19.64
VST
16.80
Q1
15.17
Min
3.34
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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

NRG Energy (NRG) at 0.56 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Vistra (VST) at 2.05 prices around its industry’s middle — NRG costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

NRG

Utilities industry group

0.56

Max
6.35
Q3
3.63
Median
2.63
Q1
1.52
NRG
0.56
Min
0.00

VST

Utilities industry group

2.05

Max
6.35
Q3
3.63
Median
2.63
VST
2.05
Q1
1.52
Min
0.00
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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Measured against book value, both NRG Energy (NRG) at 4.42 and Vistra (VST) at 16.10 look expensive — each P/B ratio sits above its industry’s benchmark range.

NRG

Utilities industry group

4.42

NRG
4.42
Max
3.12
Q3
2.21
Median
1.83
Q1
1.46
Min
0.34

VST

Utilities industry group

16.10

VST
16.10
Max
3.12
Q3
2.21
Median
1.83
Q1
1.46
Min
0.34
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NRG Energy (NRG) vs. Vistra (VST): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Utilities industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for NRG Energy (NRG) and Vistra (VST)
MetricNRGVST
P/E Ratio (TTM)23.1116.80
P/S Ratio (TTM)0.562.05
P/B Ratio (MRQ)4.4216.10
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)4.16%--