Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Dropped to “Strong Sell” by Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Vistra (NYSE:VST) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report report published on Wednesday,Zacks reports.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Vistra from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce started coverage on Vistra in a report on Thursday. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on Vistra from $231.00 to $210.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $212.00 to $227.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $217.61.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VST opened at $154.26 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.97. The company has a market cap of $51.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.06 and a beta of 1.38. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $144.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $151.28. Vistra has a 52-week low of $132.66 and a 52-week high of $217.10.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st were issued a $0.23 dividend. 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 dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is 15.54%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Institutional Trading of Vistra

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Premier Financial Group purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the second quarter worth approximately $34,000. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. grew its position in shares of Vistra by 141.2% in the first quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. Stonehage Fleming Financial Services Holdings Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Silicon Valley Capital Partners purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 46.6% in the first quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 302 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Federal loan supports capacity expansion: The Department of Energy announced a $4.2 billion loan to Vistra to modernize its power fleet and expand generation. The financing could help the company benefit from rising electricity demand from AI and data centers, particularly in markets where Vistra already operates. Vistra Stock Surged Following Its $4.2 Billion Federal Loan
• Positive Sentiment: Redemption of Series A preferred stock: Vistra announced the redemption of all one million outstanding Series A preferred shares for $1.0 billion. Eliminating the 8% preferred security could reduce costly preferred financing and simplify the capital structure, though it will require a substantial cash outlay. Vistra Announces Redemption of All Outstanding Series A Preferred Stock
• Positive Sentiment: AI-related power demand remains a growth theme: Coverage highlighted record power demand across the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Texas, reinforcing the investment case for Vistra’s generation assets and potential earnings growth from data-center expansion. Stocks Supplying the AI Data Center Power Crunch
• Neutral Sentiment: Shares remain volatile: Vistra declined sharply on October 14 while the broader market also fell, then recovered in the following session. Recent swings occurred without a new earnings report, suggesting positioning and sentiment are contributing to trading activity. Did the Market Read Vistra Stock Right?
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term valuation may limit upside: An analysis found Vistra’s forward valuation near historical averages and viewed Constellation Energy as having a stronger near-term setup. This suggests investors may already be pricing in much of Vistra’s nuclear and data-center opportunity. Why Constellation Energy Has a Near-Term Edge Over Vistra

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.