COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
ATO vs VST
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. ATO scored 54.2, VST scored 73.8 — VST leads.
Compare another set
ATO
Atmos Energy Corporation
54.2
$166.85 · $28.2B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
19.6
VST leads
VST
Vistra Corp.
73.8
$136.21 · $45.7B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- Fastest growthVST+18.6%
- Strongest balance sheetATO0.68
- Highest qualityVST65 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
ATO
stronger →← stronger
VST
54
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
65
60
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
88
49
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
70
VST is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
ATO
VST
-$2.0bF
FCF
$2.3bB
+6.5%C+
Rev
+18.6%B+
0.68A
D/E
3.73D
5.7xD
P/S
—
2.07C
PEG
0.41A
—
P/E
23.0xC+
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
ATO
VST
—
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
17% above
—
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~19%/yr
—
1-yr DCF upside
-34%
—
5-yr DCF upside
-14%
—
10-yr DCF upside
+25%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
ATO
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
- Diluting shareholders
VST
No notable signals flagged.
The companies
ATOAtmos Energy Corporation
Why now
Utilities - Regulated Gas · market cap $28.2b. 13% off the 52-week high of $192.51. 11 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $188.73 (implying +13% upside).
Moat
Net margin 28% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close.
Risk
Free cash flow is negative (-$2.0b) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk. Hedge-book exposure — many commodity producers hedge forward production; if the hedge book is concentrated at prices well below spot, the upside the market expects is already locked away.
VSTVistra Corp.
Why now
Utilities - Independent Power Producers · market cap $45.7b. Down 38% from 52-week high of $219.82 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +19%, comfortably above the S&P median. PEG 0.41 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 18 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $219.72 (implying +61% upside).
Moat
ROE 40% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 102% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
D/E 3.73 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Down 38% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Beta 1.43 implies above-market volatility — position-size to the drawdowns this name will produce in a market correction, not to its bull-case return.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where ATO and VST diverge
On the headline score the gap is 19.6 points in favor of VST. The widest single difference is Growth, where VST leads by 28.3 points.
- GrowthATO 60.0 · VST 88.3VST +28.3
- ValueATO 49.1 · VST 70.2VST +21.1
- QualityATO 53.8 · VST 64.8VST +11.0
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.