Vistra Energy Slips as Options Turn Bearish on Hot Stock

Vistra Energy ( (VST) ) has fallen by -7.57%. Read on to learn why.

Vistra Energy shares slipped 7.57% over the past week, as investors reassessed a stock that has surged on big nuclear-power deals but now faces profit-taking and mounting caution in derivatives markets. The pullback comes despite fundamentally positive news, including a high-profile 20-year power purchase agreement with Meta Platforms and robust underlying financial performance marked by healthy margins and strong cash generation.

The Meta deal, announced for January 2026 start, commits the tech giant to buy about 2,609 MW of carbon‑free power and capacity from Vistra’s nuclear plants in the PJM region, including existing output and future uprates at the Perry, Davis‑Besse, and Beaver Valley facilities. Vistra plans to invest in these uprates from 2026 through 2034 and expects to earn at least mid‑teens returns, projecting an 8%–10% boost to adjusted free cash flow from current output and another 5%–7% from the added capacity. This long-term, contract-backed revenue stream strengthens Vistra’s strategy to monetize its nuclear fleet and support predictable cash flows.

Yet, despite those tailwinds, sentiment has cooled at the margins. Spark, TipRanks’ AI analyst, rates Vistra Energy as Neutral, citing high leverage, a stretched valuation with a rich P/E and low dividend yield, and a weak technical trend as the share price has slipped below major moving averages. Options data also show a bearish tilt, with put activity outpacing calls ahead of the late-February earnings report. Together, those factors have fueled near-term volatility and a weekly price decline, even as the company’s long-term growth story in nuclear and AI-related power demand remains intact.