Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 1.9% Following Analyst Downgrade

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s stock price traded down 1.9% during mid-day trading on Friday after Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on the stock from $236.00 to $234.00. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Vistra traded as low as $170.89 and last traded at $173.4240. 5,410,457 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 11% from the average session volume of 6,077,473 shares. The stock had previously closed at $176.82.

VST has been the topic of several other research reports. KeyCorp assumed coverage on Vistra in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $217.00 price target on the stock. Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $230.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Evercore increased their price target on shares of Vistra from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $236.60.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total value of $3,605,774.55. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 297,998 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,290,575.90. This represents a 6.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Vistra News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Operational beat and AI-driven demand — Vistra said core profit beat estimates, citing stronger power demand driven in part by AI-related loads; this supports the company’s earnings power and growth thesis. Vistra beats quarterly core profit estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Record 2025 operating results and constructive 2026 guidance — Vistra reported Ongoing Operations Adjusted EBITDA of ~$5.91B and strong adjusted free cash flow, and its 2026 guidance was presented as reinforcing a multi?year growth path, which underpins longer?term valuation. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Fleet expansion improves market positioning — Announcements about expanding Vistra’s dispatchable fleet should boost its exposure to power market upside and demand from data centers and other large users. Fleet expansion article
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst view unchanged despite trim — Wells Fargo trimmed its price target slightly from $236 to $234 but kept an “overweight” rating, implying meaningful upside; the small target cut is a mild signal but not a rating downgrade. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: More color available — Earnings call transcript, slides and multiple analyst write-ups (Zacks, Seeking Alpha, Yahoo/Fool) provide detail for investors to parse operational vs. accounting impacts. Zacks Q4 metrics
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP earnings and revenue misses; large unrealized hedge losses — The quarter showed a sizable EPS and revenue miss against some street estimates, and an $808M non?cash unrealized commodity hedging loss depressed GAAP results, which likely pressured the stock. Press Release / Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Relative performance concerns — Analyst comparisons (e.g., Zacks piece contrasting VST vs. NRG) note peers may offer stronger ROE, yield or recent performance, which can shift investor preference within the utility/power space. VST vs NRG

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new position in Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. bought a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Archer Investment Corp raised its holdings in Vistra by 2,700.0% in the 3rd quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Vistra in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vistra Trading Down 1.9%

The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $163.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $181.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.40.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 20th will be paid a $0.228 dividend. This represents a $0.91 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 20th. Vistra’s payout ratio is 32.85%.

About Vistra

Vistra (NYSE: VST) is an integrated power company that develops, owns and operates electricity generation and retail businesses in the United States. The company’s operations span wholesale power production—through a diversified fleet of thermal and lower?carbon generation assets—and retail electricity supply to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Vistra serves organized wholesale markets and competitive retail markets, with a notable presence in Texas and other regional U.S. power markets.

Vistra’s core activities include the ownership and operation of generation facilities, the commercial dispatch and optimization of those assets into wholesale markets, and the sale of electricity and related services to end-use customers through its retail brands.