Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Up 1.6% After Analyst Upgrade

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s stock price rose 1.6% during trading on Thursday after Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce upgraded the stock to a strong-buy rating. The stock traded as high as $154.46 and last traded at $154.2620. Approximately 7,139,350 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 39% from the average daily volume of 5,134,188 shares. The stock had previously closed at $151.79.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Vistra from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 target price on Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Zacks Research cut Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday. BNP Paribas Exane set a $255.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $216.74.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, CEO James Burke acquired 4,465 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $135.25 per share, for a total transaction of $603,891.25. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,146,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $155,044,108. This trade represents a 0.39% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 22,222 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.14, for a total value of $3,558,631.08. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 308,915 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,469,648.10. This represents a 6.71% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.92% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

More Vistra News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The Department of Energy announced a $4.2 billion federal loan to help Vistra modernize its generation fleet and expand capacity in high-growth power markets. The financing could strengthen the company’s ability to serve data centers and other customers as electricity demand rises. Vistra Stock Surged Following Its $4.2 Billion Federal Loan
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and financial media continue to identify Vistra as a major beneficiary of AI data-center power demand, with generation assets in fast-growing U.S. markets. One article estimates substantial long-term upside if nuclear and power-demand growth persist. Why Constellation Energy Has A Near-Term Edge Over Vistra
• Neutral Sentiment: Vistra announced the redemption of all one million Series A preferred shares for $1 billion. Eliminating the 8% preferred stock may simplify the capital structure and reduce preferred obligations, although it also requires a substantial cash outlay. Vistra Announces Redemption of All Outstanding Series A Preferred Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Vistra was featured as a top AI data-center stock associated with portfolios attributed to President Trump and Nancy Pelosi. The coverage is largely promotional and does not represent a new company-specific catalyst. President Trump and Nancy Pelosi’s AI Data Center Stock Pick
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded VST from “Hold” to “Strong Sell,” adding a clear near-term bearish signal. Recent volatility and a sharp decline earlier in the week may also be keeping investors cautious.
• Negative Sentiment: Vistra’s latest reported quarter missed consensus expectations for both earnings and revenue, which may reinforce concerns about execution despite the company’s favorable long-term power-demand outlook.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at about $4,610,496,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Vistra in the second quarter valued at approximately $468,354,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the second quarter valued at approximately $381,938,000. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth $262,169,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the second quarter worth about $138,267,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Trading Down 1.4%

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $145.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $151.29. The stock has a market cap of $51.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.69 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.97.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.61 by ($0.85). The business had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 108.68%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 9.04 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.2290. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is 15.54%.

Vistra Company Profile

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is an integrated energy company headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company operates electricity generation facilities and provides electricity and related energy services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Its portfolio includes natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery energy storage assets.

Vistra also operates a retail electricity business that offers power plans, renewable energy options, and energy-management services. Its retail brands include TXU Energy, Homefield Energy, Dynegy, and Ambit Energy, serving customers in competitive electricity markets across the United States.