Executive Order to Quadruple US Nuclear Capacity: Will Vistra Benefit?

Vistra Corp. VST is well-positioned to benefit from President Trump’s executive order aimed at quadrupling the U.S. nuclear energy production by 2050. The directive calls for expedited licensing, streamlined regulatory processes and substantial federal investment in nuclear infrastructure. These initiatives are closely aligned with Vistra’s growth strategy.
 
Vistra has a diversified clean energy generation portfolio that includes nuclear assets. The company is well-equipped to expand or modernize its nuclear operations more efficiently and cost-effectively. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s shortened approval timelines could fast-track projects that once faced years of delays, providing Vistra with a strategic advantage in delivering reliable, clean power from its nuclear power station to customers.

The executive order prioritizes domestic uranium supply and encourages development of reactors near military bases and Artificial Intelligence-based data center hubs, which require massive power volume to operate. Vistra could benefit from government contracts or public-private partnerships tied to these initiatives, especially as AI infrastructure and grid reliability become national priorities.

Vistra, with its existing nuclear assets and strong presence in high-growth electricity markets, is well-positioned to capture long-term upside from this aggressive nuclear push, both in terms of earnings growth and strategic relevance in the clean energy transition.

The company has plans to invest in its nuclear fleet and the new executive power is in sync with the long-term objectives. Demand for clean energy is rising due to ongoing electrification of oil field operations in the Permian Basin and increasing power needs from semiconductor manufacturers, industrial clients and an expanding residential customer base.

Executive Order to Boost the Prospect of Other Nuclear Stocks

Courtesy of the executive order, the United States’ nuclear capacity is likely to increase from 100 gigawatt (GW) in 2024 to 400 GW by 2050. New nuclear policies will assist in the quick approval and development of new nuclear units.
 
Constellation Energy CEG and NuScale Power SMR, among others, stand to gain from the executive order.
 
CEG aims to increase its clean power generation from nuclear assets by acquiring new assets and capacity expansion of existing units. SMR is progressing with its Small Modular Reactor technology. Smaller size of the reactor allows better control and can be deployed quickly to meet the requirements of different sectors.

VST Stock’s Price Performance

Vistra stock has gained 18.5% in the past month against the Zacks Utility Electric Power industry’s decline of 0.4%.

VST Stock Trading at a Premium

Vistra is trading at a premium relative to the industry, with a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 25.46X compared with the industry average of 15.2X.

Mixed Movement in Earnings Estimates for VST

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for VST’s 2025 earnings per share is showing a decline year over year, while 2026 earnings per share are showing improvement.

VST’s Zacks Rank

VST currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

 

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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