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Investing.com -- Talen Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:TLN) stock soared 10% in after-hours trading Thursday following the announcement of agreements to acquire two combined-cycle gas-fired power plants for a net price of $3.5 billion.
The independent power producer will purchase Caithness Energy’s Moxie Freedom Energy Center in Pennsylvania and the Guernsey Power Station in Ohio, which is jointly owned by Caithness Energy and BlackRock (NYSE:BLK). The acquisition represents a 6.7x 2026 EV/EBITDA multiple for what Talen describes as "two of the most efficient natural gas plants in PJM."
Talen expects the transaction to be immediately accretive to free cash flow per share by over 40% in 2026 and over 50% through 2029. The company plans to issue approximately $3.8 billion in new debt to fund the acquisitions and refinance target debt.
"This acquisition enhances Talen’s fleet by selectively adding modern, highly efficient baseload H-class CCGTs in Talen’s key markets, where we are an innovator in data center contracting," said Mac McFarland, Talen President and Chief Executive Officer.
The addition of these facilities will increase Talen’s annual power generation by 50%, from approximately 40 TWh to 60 TWh. Both plants feature an average heat rate of 6,550 Btu/kWh and benefit from advantaged locations with reliable access to natural gas pipeline infrastructure.
Talen expects to maintain its balance sheet strength with a leverage target of 3.5x or lower by year-end 2026. The company also aims to continue its share repurchase program of approximately $500 million annually through the 2026 deleveraging period.
Both transactions are expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
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