TAC vs NRG vs VST Stock Comparison

Transalta, Nrg Energy and Vistra Prices as of Nov 3, 2026 Peers: Industry group
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TAC Transalta Corp
$13.23 +7.0% 1M -24.9% 1Y
Market cap
$3.94B
P/E
111.4x
Revenue (TTM)
$1.58B
Div. yield
0.01%
Independent Power Producers Utilities
2 wins
NRG Nrg Energy, Inc.
$96.24 +1.1% 1M -44.8% 1Y
Market cap
$17.42B
P/E
22.3x
Revenue (TTM)
$33.13B
Div. yield
0.03%
Independent Power Producers Utilities
3 wins
VST Vistra Corp.
$139.58 -0.3% 1M -27.7% 1Y
Market cap
$40.42B
P/E
19.9x
Revenue (TTM)
$19.21B
Div. yield
0.01%
Independent Power Producers Utilities
7 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Vistra leads on 7 of the 12 questions below (Vistra 7, Nrg Energy 3, Transalta 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionTACNRGVSTLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $3.94B $17.42B $40.42B VST
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 111.4x 22.3x 19.9x VST
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 55.1x 11.3x 15.8x NRG
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months -11.2% +12.8% +3.8% NRG
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 2.2% 2.4% 10.6% VST
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 6.4% 5.8% 11.3% VST
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 4.3x 6.2x 2.8x VST
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.01% 0.03% 0.01% NRG
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -24.9% -44.8% -27.7% TAC
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +3.7%/yr +22.1%/yr +48.7%/yr VST
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 41.1% 49.8% 50.5% TAC
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 49/100 63/100 66/100 VST

Percentile Scorecard

TACNRGVST

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisTACNRGVST
Valuation 65 #9 of 24 61 #10 of 24 70 #8 of 24
Growth 18 #19 of 23 82 #5 of 23 50 #12 of 23
Profitability 86 #4 of 23 68 #8 of 23 100 #1 of 23
Financial Health 30 #17 of 24 17 #20 of 24 39 #15 of 24
Shareholder Returns 44 #11 of 19 89 #3 of 19 72 #6 of 19
Overall 49 63 66
  • TAC ranked among 24 companies in Power Generation
  • NRG ranked among 24 companies in Power Generation
  • VST ranked among 24 companies in Power Generation

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodTACNRGVSTSPY
1 month +7.0%+1.1%-0.3% -2.0%
3 months +3.5%-17.8%-2.5% -2.2%
6 months +5.0%-38.9%-13.0% +4.2%
Year to date +4.7%-39.6%-13.5% +10.6%
1 year -24.9%-44.8%-27.7% +10.4%
3 years +67.9%+113.9%+298.9% +73.6%
3 years, per year +18.9%+28.9%+58.6% +20.2%
5 years +19.7%+170.6%+626.6% +61.6%
5 years, per year +3.7%+22.1%+48.7% +10.1%
10 years +207.7%+850.0%+926.3% +261.3%
10 years, per year +11.9%+25.3%+26.2% +13.7%

Risk

MeasureTACNRGVSTSPY
Volatility, 1Y 41.1%49.8%50.5% 12.8%
Downside volatility, 1Y 44.4%55.5%54.5% 12.8%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 1.111.381.58 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.61-0.90-0.55 0.81
Max drawdown, 5Y -48.4%-49.8%-48.9% -25.4%
From 52-week high -24.9%-47.7%-27.7% -3.2%
52-week high $17.62$184.03$193.04 $779.14
52-week low $11.53$92.32$134.60 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleTACNRGVST
P/E now vs peer median 111.2xmedian 26.0x 26.0xmedian 26.0x 23.2xmedian 26.0x
P/S now vs peer median 2.5xmedian 2.6x 0.6xmedian 2.6x 2.4xmedian 2.6x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 10.6xmedian 11.5x 11.5xmedian 11.5x 10.2xmedian 11.5x
P/FCF now vs peer median 20.4xmedian 13.2x 58.2xmedian 13.2x 20.8xmedian 13.2x
P/B now vs peer median 2.9xmedian 2.1x 4.2xmedian 2.1x 8.5xmedian 2.1x
PEG now vs peer median -1.94median 0.76 0.76median 0.76 1.46median 0.76

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsTACNRGVST
Revenue $1.58B $33.13B $19.21B
Gross profit $1.09B $6.23B –
Operating income $297.71M $2.02B $3.56B
Net income $77.74M $849.00M $2.22B
Free cash flow $192.68M $348.00M $2.26B
EPS (diluted) $0.12 $3.69 $5.98
Cash & equivalents $243.11M $162.00M $435.00M
Total debt $2.97B $23.44B $19.60B
Shares (diluted) 297.00M 212.00M 339.23M
Enterprise value $2.83B $11.64B $33.60B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricTACNRGVST
P/E 111.2x 26.0x 23.2x
P/FCF 20.4x 58.2x 20.8x
P/Operating cash flow 10.0x 13.0x 9.2x
P/S 2.5x 0.6x 2.4x
P/B 2.9x 4.2x 8.5x
P/Tangible book 3.3x 7.5x 14.6x
EV/EBITDA 10.6x 11.5x 10.2x
EV/EBIT 22.4x 21.6x 18.1x
EV/Revenue 4.2x 1.3x 3.4x
EV/FCF 34.5x 125.0x 28.7x
EV/Operating cash flow 16.9x 28.0x 12.6x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -1.94 0.76 1.46

Growth

14 metrics
MetricTACNRGVST
Revenue growth (1Y) -11.2% 12.8% 3.8%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -16.0% 2.9% 4.9%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 0.7% 22.9% –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -13.3% 348.5% –
Operating income growth (1Y) 269.7% 57.9% -0.5%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -28.6% 43.0% 12.3%
Net income growth (1Y) 166.3% 62.6% -8.9%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -48.6% 34.1% 11.4%
EPS growth (1Y) 122.6% 58.9% -6.0%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -57.4% 34.1% 15.9%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) -13.2% -32.1% 21.2%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -29.3% 33.9% 6.7%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -4.7% -75.0% 36.4%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -30.0% 27.6% -4.7%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricTACNRGVST
Gross margin 68.8% 18.8% –
EBITDA margin 40.0% 11.4% 33.0%
Operating margin 18.9% 6.1% 18.5%
Pretax margin 7.3% 3.2% 14.6%
Net margin 2.2% 2.4% 10.6%
FCF margin 12.2% 1.1% 11.7%
Operating cash flow margin 25.0% 4.7% 26.7%
Return on equity 5.8% 17.5% 40.0%
Return on assets 1.3% 2.1% 5.3%
Return on invested capital 6.4% 5.8% 11.3%
Return on capital employed – 6.7% 11.3%
Asset turnover 0.3x 0.8x 0.5x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 5.1x 1.8x 2.3x
Stock comp / revenue – 0.4% 0.7%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricTACNRGVST
Debt / assets 48.1% 58.7% 46.0%
Debt / equity 2.2x 4.8x 3.6x
Net debt / EBITDA 4.3x 6.2x 2.8x
Debt / FCF 15.4x 67.3x 8.7x
Liabilities / assets 77.9% 87.8% 87.1%
Equity / assets 22.1% 12.2% 12.9%
Interest coverage 1.3x 2.0x 3.1x
Current ratio – 1.0x 1.0x
Quick ratio – 0.5x 0.5x
Cash ratio – 0.0x 0.2x
Altman Z-score – 1.42 1.51

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricTACNRGVST
Dividend yield 2.1% 2.0% 0.7%
Net buyback yield -5.4% 8.1% 2.4%
Shareholder yield -3.3% 10.1% 3.1%
Payout ratio (earnings) 43.9% 51.7% 13.9%
Payout ratio (FCF) 17.7% 126.1% 13.7%
Dividend growth (1Y) -6.6% 7.6% 0.3%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) 2.8% 9.1% 0.5%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusTACNRGVST
Forward P/E 55.1xFY2026 11.3xFY2026 15.8xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $0.24FY2026 $8.49FY2026 $8.83FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +71.4%FY2026 +5.2%FY2026 +305.0%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +54.2% +28.7% +21.0%
Revenue, next fiscal year $1.40BFY2026 $36.07BFY2026 $21.29BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY -20.0%FY2026 +17.5%FY2026 +20.0%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +23.2% -0.9% +20.7%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersTACNRGVST
Held by institutions – 93.7% 84.4%
Institutions holding – 1,025 1,405
Change in shares held, QoQ – +0.7% +2.7%
Institutions buying – 509 854
Institutions selling – 386 415
Buyers to sellers – 1.32 2.06

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

TACNRGVST
TAC 1.00 0.39 0.46
NRG 0.39 1.00 0.77
VST 0.46 0.77 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, TAC, NRG and VST?

Vistra (VST) is the largest by market capitalisation: Transalta (TAC) $3.94B, Nrg Energy (NRG) $17.42B, Vistra (VST) $40.42B.

Which stock is cheaper, TAC, NRG and VST?

Vistra (VST) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Transalta (TAC) 111.4x, Nrg Energy (NRG) 22.3x, Vistra (VST) 19.9x). On next year's consensus earnings, Nrg Energy (NRG) is cheapest (Transalta (TAC) 55.1x, Nrg Energy (NRG) 11.3x, Vistra (VST) 15.8x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Nrg Energy (NRG) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Transalta (TAC) -11.2%, Nrg Energy (NRG) +12.8%, Vistra (VST) +3.8%.

Which company is more profitable?

Vistra (VST) has the highest net margin (Transalta (TAC) 2.2%, Nrg Energy (NRG) 2.4%, Vistra (VST) 10.6%). On return on invested capital, Vistra (VST) leads (Transalta (TAC) 6.4%, Nrg Energy (NRG) 5.8%, Vistra (VST) 11.3%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Transalta (TAC) returned the most: Transalta (TAC) -24.9%, Nrg Energy (NRG) -44.8%, Vistra (VST) -27.7%. Over five years, Vistra (VST) compounded fastest (Transalta (TAC) +3.7%/yr, Nrg Energy (NRG) +22.1%/yr, Vistra (VST) +48.7%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Nrg Energy (NRG) has the highest dividend yield: Transalta (TAC) 0.01%, Nrg Energy (NRG) 0.03%, Vistra (VST) 0.01%.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Transalta (TAC) has been the steadiest (Transalta (TAC) 41.1%, Nrg Energy (NRG) 49.8%, Vistra (VST) 50.5%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, TAC, NRG and VST?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Vistra (VST) leads on 7. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.