Analyzing Spark Power Group (OTCMKTS:SKPGF) and Vistra (NYSE:VST)

Vistra (NYSE:VST) and Spark Power Group (OTCMKTS:SKPGF) are both utilities companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, dividends and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Vistra and Spark Power Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Vistra	11.55%	108.68%	7.67%
Spark Power Group	N/A	N/A	N/A

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Vistra and Spark Power Group, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Vistra	0	2	13	1	2.94
Spark Power Group	0	0	0	0	0.00

Vistra currently has a consensus price target of $226.00, suggesting a potential upside of 62.73%. Given Vistra’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Vistra is more favorable than Spark Power Group.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

90.9% of Vistra shares are held by institutional investors. 0.9% of Vistra shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Vistra and Spark Power Group”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Vistra	$19.21 billion	2.43	$944.00 million	$5.92	23.46
Spark Power Group	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Vistra has higher revenue and earnings than Spark Power Group.

Summary

Vistra beats Spark Power Group on 10 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Vistra

Vistra Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated retail electricity and power generation company. The company operates through six segments: Retail, Texas, East, West, Sunset, and Asset Closure. It retails electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across states in the United States and the District of Columbia. In addition, the company is involved in the electricity generation, wholesale energy purchases and sales, commodity risk management, fuel production, and fuel logistics management activities. It serves approximately 4 million customers with a generation capacity of approximately 37,000 megawatts with a portfolio of natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery energy storage facilities. The company was formerly known as Vistra Energy Corp. and changed its name to Vistra Corp. in July 2020. Vistra Corp. was founded in 1882 and is based in Irving, Texas.

About Spark Power Group

Spark Power Group Inc. provides electrical contracting, operations, and maintenance services, as well as energy sustainability solutions in Canada and the United States. The company's Technical Services segment offers low-voltage technical services, including electrical contracting, custom control panel design and assembly, industrial automation, electronic repair, systems integration, and 24/7 emergency services; and medium and high voltage technical services, such as power on', equipment installation, sub-station construction and maintenance, commissioning, power line construction and maintenance, thermography, and transformer maintenance services. This segment also provides engineering services comprising power systems engineering, protection and control engineering, substation engineering, SCADA engineering, and arc flash studies, as well as fabrication shop/paint services; buys, refurbishes, and resells used electrical equipment; sells and rents power transformers; and sells medium voltage electrical switchgears. Its Renewables segment offers renewables operations and maintenance services comprising wind, solar, battery energy storage systems, and electric vehicle assets. The company serves industrial, commercial, institutional, renewable, and agricultural customers, as well as utility markets, including municipalities, universities, schools, and hospitals. Spark Power Group Inc. is headquartered in Oakville, Canada. As of December 5, 2023, Spark Power Group Inc. was taken private.