Vistra (VST) Competitors

Vistra (NYSE:VST) and Constellation Energy (NASDAQ:CEG) are both large-cap utilities companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, risk, earnings, media sentiment and dividends.

Does the media prefer VST or CEG?

In the previous week, Vistra had 52 more articles in the media than Constellation Energy. MarketBeat recorded 59 mentions for Vistra and 7 mentions for Constellation Energy. Constellation Energy's average media sentiment score of 1.07 beat Vistra's score of 0.87 indicating that Constellation Energy is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Vistra	35 Very Positive mention(s)	6 Positive mention(s)	13 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Constellation Energy	4 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Do institutionals & insiders have more ownership in VST or CEG?

90.9% of Vistra shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 82.2% of Constellation Energy shares are held by institutional investors. 1.4% of Vistra shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Constellation Energy shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Is VST or CEG more profitable?

Vistra has a net margin of 12.90% compared to Constellation Energy's net margin of 12.12%. Vistra's return on equity of 108.41% beat Constellation Energy's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Vistra	12.90%	108.41%	7.71%
Constellation Energy	12.12%	21.61%	5.52%

Do analysts recommend VST or CEG?

Vistra presently has a consensus price target of $224.21, indicating a potential upside of 10.86%. Constellation Energy has a consensus price target of $352.76, indicating a potential downside of 2.01%. Given Vistra's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Vistra is more favorable than Constellation Energy.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Vistra	0 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	12 Buy rating(s)	3 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.06
Constellation Energy	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	14 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.82

Which has higher earnings and valuation, VST or CEG?

Constellation Energy has higher revenue and earnings than Vistra. Vistra is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Constellation Energy, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Vistra	$18.51B	3.70	$2.66B	$6.27	32.26
Constellation Energy	$24.82B	4.53	$3.75B	$9.58	37.58

Which has more risk & volatility, VST or CEG?

Vistra has a beta of 1.33, suggesting that its share price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Constellation Energy has a beta of 1.1, suggesting that its share price is 10% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Is VST or CEG a better dividend stock?

Vistra pays an annual dividend of $0.90 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.4%. Constellation Energy pays an annual dividend of $1.55 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.4%. Vistra pays out 14.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Constellation Energy pays out 16.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Vistra has increased its dividend for 6 consecutive years and Constellation Energy has increased its dividend for 3 consecutive years. Vistra is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Summary

Vistra beats Constellation Energy on 13 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.