Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 6.1% on Analyst Downgrade

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) traded down 6.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday after The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on the stock from $203.00 to $200.00. The Goldman Sachs Group currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Vistra traded as low as $110.89 and last traded at $113.0040. 15,241,492 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 189% from the average session volume of 5,271,346 shares. The stock had previously closed at $120.29.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. Wolfe Research boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $219.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Vistra from $196.00 to $194.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 27th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Vistra from $212.00 to $198.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. Lake Street Capital set a $194.00 price target on Vistra in a report on Tuesday, October 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Vistra from $231.00 to $228.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $205.00.

Insider Activity

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

Key Vistra News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: One bullish view is that Vistra’s shift toward long-term power contracts and capacity revenue could make earnings more predictable. The cited analysis points to 21.8% expected 2026 adjusted EBITDA growth and possible additional contributions from Cogentrix and Meta agreements. Vistra: The Market Is Underpricing Its Shift To Contracted Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets cut its price target to $188 from $210 but maintained an “outperform” rating. Another analysis estimates fair value above the recent share price, citing a free-cash-flow yield above 10%; Vistra’s board also approved dividends on common and preferred shares. BMO Capital Markets recommendations Vistra Could Be Undervalued on Dividend Approval
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are looking ahead to third-quarter results due Nov. 6. Analysts expect higher revenue and earnings year over year, but the results and outlook may be important catalysts after recent volatility. Vistra Set for Q3 Earnings Release
• Negative Sentiment: The main concern is Texas election-related policy uncertainty. A possible freeze or moratorium on data-center development could restrain future electricity demand; Texas accounts for about 28% of Vistra’s EBITDA. Though much of its 2027 output is hedged, investors are reassessing the growth outlook. Vistra: Texas Turned Blue, And the 2026 Forecast Didn’t Move
• Negative Sentiment: KeyBanc downgraded Vistra from “overweight” to “sector weight” amid those policy questions. Scotiabank also trimmed its 2026 EPS estimate to $8.83 from $9.14, while BMO lowered its target. Vistra Downgraded at KeyBanc
• Negative Sentiment: Put-option buying was unusually elevated, signaling increased demand for downside protection and adding to evidence of cautious investor sentiment.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VST. Premier Financial Group bought a new stake in Vistra in the second quarter valued at $34,000. Stonehage Fleming Financial Services Holdings Ltd bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the second quarter worth about $37,000. Silicon Valley Capital Partners bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the second quarter worth about $39,000. Latitude Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth about $43,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vistra Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $37.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.09 and a beta of 1.37. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $144.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $153.08. 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 posted its earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by ($0.85). Vistra had a net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 108.68%. The firm had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.46 billion. On average, analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 8.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.2310 per share. 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Vistra’s payout ratio is presently 15.54%.

Vistra Company Profile

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.