Zacks Thematic Screens lets you dive into 30 dynamic investment themes shaping the future. Whether you’re interested in cutting-edge technology, renewable energy, or healthcare innovations, our themes help you invest in ideas that matter to you.
Let’s take a closer look at the ‘Nuclear’ theme and analyze a stock that the screen returned, such as Vistra VST.
Nuclear Overview
Nuclear energy stands at the cusp of the global push for a low-carbon, greener, and more resilient energy future. This investment theme encapsulates companies engaged in uranium mining, nuclear reactor construction and maintenance, and the generation of electricity from nuclear sources, alongside firms providing essential technology and services to the nuclear industry.
As nations seek reliable and consistent power sources amid rising energy demands and geopolitical tensions, nuclear energy offers a unique solution with its near-full capacity operations and zero emissions.
Vistra Pays Shareholders
Vistra safely operates a reliable, efficient, power generation fleet of natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery energy storage facilities. Shares have been hot in 2025, gaining 30% and outperforming relative to the S&P 500.
The company has announced increases to its quarterly payout in 2025, continuing a trend of higher payouts over the years. VST presently sports a 12% five-year annualized dividend growth rate, with its payout ratio sitting sustainably at 21% of its earnings. Below is a chart illustrating the company’s dividends paid on a quarterly basis.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Bottom Line
Thematic investing has emerged as a powerful way for investors to sync their portfolios with emerging trends. A mix of long-term and short-term themes is increasingly dictating which companies lead as economies expand and markets shift.
While stocks in each theme aren’t direct recommendations, they offer a solid starting point. Leverage the Zacks Rank and other metrics to identify the best stocks for your strategy. Each featured stock comes with a Zacks report, giving you the tools to analyze performance and potential
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Vistra Corp. (VST) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).