New York, Jan 6, 2026, 17:09 EST — After-hours
- Vistra shares rose 4.1% in after-hours trading after the company agreed to buy Cogentrix Energy.
- The $4.7 billion deal adds roughly 5.5 gigawatts of natural-gas generation across key U.S. power markets.
- Investors are watching deal financing, regulatory approvals and Vistra’s next earnings update.
Vistra Corp (VST) shares rose 4.1% to $169.53 in after-hours trading on Tuesday after the power producer agreed to buy Cogentrix Energy for about $4.7 billion, expanding its natural-gas fleet as U.S. power demand climbs. 1
The acquisition lands as generators move to lock in “dispatchable” supply — plants that can run on demand — for data centers and other large users that need steady power. Jefferies analyst Julien Demoulin-Smith called the portfolio “attractively priced” and said the push into New England “makes abundant sense,” pointing to the region’s capacity market, where generators are paid to be available. 2
Vistra said expected tax benefits would reduce the net purchase price to about $4.0 billion, with $2.3 billion in cash, $900 million in stock and about $1.5 billion of assumed debt. Chief executive Jim Burke said the deal supports “growing customer demand” in Vistra’s core markets, while Quantum Capital Group founder Wil VanLoh said the firm was “excited to become shareholders of Vistra.” 3
A securities filing showed Vistra lined up up to $2.0 billion of 364-day senior secured bridge loans — short-term financing meant to be replaced with longer-term debt — from Goldman Sachs Bank USA to help fund the cash portion and related costs. The filing also laid out a Dec. 31, 2026 outside date for the agreements, with extension options tied to regulatory approvals, and reverse termination fees that could top $70 million if Vistra fails to close after conditions are met. 4
The deal adds gas plants across PJM, ISO New England and ERCOT — regional grid markets that set power prices and reliability rules — and keeps Vistra squarely in the group of U.S. generators trying to position for rising load from tech infrastructure. Traders will be listening for signs that customers are willing to sign longer contracts at higher prices as new data-center builds move from planning to construction.
But the path to closing runs through a tougher review climate. Federal antitrust officials have recently pressed for divestitures in large power-sector deals, a reminder that regulators can force changes that cut expected returns or delay timelines. 5
Investors are also weighing how much additional debt Vistra takes on, whether interest-rate moves change the economics of gas-heavy portfolios, and how power and capacity prices hold up if the pace of data-center demand growth cools.
Next up, the market will look to Vistra’s next quarterly report — estimated for Feb. 26 — for any update on leverage, buybacks and how management expects the Cogentrix assets to contribute once approvals are in hand. 6
