We recently published a list of Jim Cramer Latest Portfolio Update: Top 10 Stocks. Since Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) ranks 5th on the list, it deserves a deeper look.
Jim Cramer during his October 14 program on CNBC looked excited as he celebrated the rebound of major tech stocks, saying these companies are showing their “staying power” despite the odds.
“We’re back. That’s right. Whatever you want to call them, these big tech plays are demonstrating their staying power no matter what happens.”
Cramer said that the latest earnings season would be critical for the overall market and investor portfolios. He also pointed out the broadening of the rally, saying other groups besides the tech industry are also rebounding.
“This rally is not a zero-sum equation where the rest of the market does nothing. Other groups can work, too, in this market. There’s a lot of money going around, and we know there’s a lot of money coming into the market. The Fed is cutting rates, and friendly cash won’t be worth as much as it was. But the staying power of the Magnificent 7 is truly unbelievable.”
For this article we watched several latest programs of Jim Cramer aired on CNBC and picked 10 important stocks he’s talking about. With each company we have mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
Vistra Corp (NYSE:VST)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 92
Talking about Vistra Corp (NYSE:VST) and its data center-related growth potential, Cramer said he’s still bullish on the stock but highlighted that it has run too much.
“I think it’s a little overdone, but the next time it has one of its pullbacks, which do occur, I would do some buying.”
Vistra Corp (NYSE:VST) is a power generation company that is also involved in electricity generation and wholesale energy purchases and sales. Vistra Corp (NYSE:VST) has about 5 million customers and operates a 41,000-megawatt portfolio of natural gas, coal, nuclear, and solar assets, as well as battery storage facilities.
Citi earlier this year published a list of utility stocks that it’s bullish on amid the importance of power grids, growth in renewable energy and AI-powered demand. Vistra Corp (NYSE:VST) is one of the stocks Citi likes.
Guggenheim analyst Shahriar Pourreza who holds a Buy recommendation and a Street-high price target of $133 on Vistra Corp (NYSE:VST) thinks VST is a “unicorn” for its portfolio of both gas and nuclear power plants. Pourreza further said in his note to clients that data centers are exploring 24-hour power sources that are clean and “nuclear plants are a very strong avenue for that”, further adding to his thesis for the stock.
Fidelity Growth Strategies Fund stated the following regarding Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:
“An overweight stake in utility company Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) (+24%) was the top individual relative contributor. In Q1, the Texas-based independent power producer completed its acquisition of Ohio-based nuclear fleet operator Energy Harbor. The new Vistra, with its expanded geographic footprint, is in strong position to gain from the buildout of AI-capable data centers, which require enormous amounts of power to run. It is expected that local grids in the U.S. will need to invest heavily over the coming years to improve their power infrastructure and meet growing demand. In the nearer term, firms may choose to contract with independent power producers, like Vistra, rather than rely on the local provider.”
Overall, Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) ranks 5th on Insider Monkey’s list titled Jim Cramer Latest Portfolio Update: Top 10 Stocks. While we acknowledge the potential of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST), our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than VST but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.