Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 10.6% – Should You Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares shot up 10.6% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $174.74 and last traded at $166.6010. 14,276,097 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 89% from the average session volume of 7,560,298 shares. The stock had previously closed at $150.60.

Key Vistra News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vistra announced 20-year power purchase agreements with Meta that will deliver more than 2,600 MW of zero-carbon energy (2,176 MW operating + 433 MW uprates) from three Vistra nuclear plants in PJM — described as the largest corporate-supported nuclear uprates in the U.S. This underpins long-term contracted revenue and demand from hyperscale customers. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: Major outlets (WSJ, Yahoo Finance and others) picked up the Meta-Vistra deal; coverage emphasized that Meta is turning to nuclear to power AI data centers, which amplified investor interest in Vistra as a strategic supplier to tech hyperscalers. WSJ: Meta’s Nuclear Deals
• Positive Sentiment: Market headlines and premarket commentary flagged a multi-dealer lift in Vistra and peer Oklo after Meta’s announcement, which likely triggered momentum buying and higher volume. Yahoo Finance
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor pieces and analysts note Vistra’s positioning to benefit from rising data-center electricity demand; some articles highlight the company’s pricing power and long-term case for utility-like stability. The Motley Fool
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and prior share weakness pieces appeared this week, which provide context on why a confirmed long-term PPA matters for re-rating multiples — the deal reduces revenue uncertainty but valuation still reflects elevated expectations. Yahoo: Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually heavy put buying was reported the day before the announcement (53,525 puts), indicating some traders were positioned for downside or hedging; that activity could have amplified volatility around the news. (No article link provided)
• Negative Sentiment: Recent fundamentals: Vistra’s last reported quarter missed revenue/was slightly below EPS consensus and the company carries relatively high leverage (debt/equity), which keeps downside risk if power markets or margins weaken. (See company filings/earnings release for details.)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on VST. Daiwa Capital Markets upgraded Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Scotiabank assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, September 22nd. They issued a “sector outperform” rating and a $256.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, December 29th. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price target for the company. Finally, Cowen started coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $231.40.

Vistra Stock Up 10.6%

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $171.31 and a 200 day moving average of $188.62. The stock has a market cap of $56.45 billion, a PE ratio of 60.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The company reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.78 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $4.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.60 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 6.70% and a return on equity of 64.04%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.227 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 22nd. This represents a $0.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.49%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 58,275 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.75, for a total transaction of $10,183,556.25. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 218,239 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $38,137,265.25. This trade represents a 21.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 56,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $168.86, for a total transaction of $9,456,160.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 306,600 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $51,772,476. This represents a 15.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 405,876 shares of company stock valued at $76,995,686 over the last three months. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Congress Asset Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of Vistra by 18.1% during the fourth quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 35,678 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,756,000 after purchasing an additional 5,476 shares in the last quarter. Overbrook Management Corp purchased a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $7,912,000. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in Vistra by 1,373.0% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 305,362 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,264,000 after acquiring an additional 284,632 shares in the last quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,932 shares of the company’s stock valued at $634,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares during the period. Finally, Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 440.4% during the fourth quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 19,476 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,142,000 after purchasing an additional 15,872 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.