Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 3.8% – Time to Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares shot up 3.8% during trading on Tuesday. The stock traded as high as $142.40 and last traded at $139.6630. Approximately 5,847,253 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 13% from the average session volume of 5,155,147 shares. The stock had previously closed at $134.61.

Key Stories Impacting Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts still see substantial upside. BMO Capital Markets lowered its price target to $188 but maintained an “outperform” rating. An investment analysis also points to growth in contracted power revenue and 2026 EBITDA guidance, while arguing the shares are undervalued. Vistra: The Market Is Underpricing Its Shift To Contracted Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Vistra’s board approved dividends on preferred and common shares, providing a modest income-related positive amid the share-price weakness. Vistra (VST) Could Be 8% Undervalued On Dividend Approval
• Neutral Sentiment: Vistra is scheduled to report third-quarter results on November 6. Analysts expect year-over-year revenue growth, but the report will be important for gauging performance and outlook amid recent uncertainty. Vistra Set for Q3 Earnings Release: Is the Stock a Buy, Sell or Hold?
• Negative Sentiment: The key concern is possible Texas policy changes after the election, including a potential pause on data-center development that could constrain future electricity demand. Texas represents about 28% of Vistra’s EBITDA, though much of its 2027 output is already hedged. Vistra downgraded at KeyBanc as Texas policy questions swirl after midterm election
• Negative Sentiment: KeyBanc cut its rating from “overweight” to “sector weight,” citing the policy uncertainty. Separately, Scotiabank trimmed its 2026 EPS estimate, and unusually heavy put-option activity suggests increased demand for downside protection.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 price target on Vistra and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. KeyCorp cut Vistra from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Vistra from $227.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Siebert Williams Shank started coverage on Vistra in a report on Friday, October 2nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $202.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Williams Trading set a $202.00 target price on Vistra in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $205.00.

Vistra Stock Down 6.1%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87. The company has a market cap of $37.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.09 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a fifty day moving average of $144.19 and a 200 day moving average of $152.81.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by ($0.85). The firm had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 108.68%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 8.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 22nd will be paid a $0.2310 dividend. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 22nd. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vistra news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 44,444 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.82, for a total transaction of $6,747,488.08. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 331,137 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $50,273,219.34. This represents a 11.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO James Burke bought 4,465 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $135.25 per share, with a total value of $603,891.25. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 1,146,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $155,044,108. The trade was a 0.39% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth $4,610,496,000. State Street Corp boosted its position in Vistra by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 16,850,452 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,672,987,000 after acquiring an additional 79,972 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Vistra by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,436,880 shares of the company’s stock valued at $516,616,000 after acquiring an additional 32,982 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at $468,354,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at $381,938,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

About Vistra

Vistra Corp. (NYSE: VST) is an integrated energy company based in Irving, Texas. The company operates across electricity generation, power distribution support, energy marketing and retail electricity sales, serving residential, commercial and industrial customers primarily in the United States.

Vistra owns and operates a diverse portfolio of power generation and energy storage facilities. Its assets include natural gas, nuclear, coal and renewable generation, as well as battery storage projects.