Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 2.7% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) traded down 2.7% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $149.19 and last traded at $150.4930. 6,841,468 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 10% from the average session volume of 6,214,612 shares. The stock had previously closed at $154.60.

More 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 Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and set a $230.00 target price (down previously from $241.00) on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, September 22nd. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $228.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Scotiabank started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, September 22nd. They set a “sector outperform” rating and a $256.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Vistra from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $217.00 price objective on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $231.40.

Vistra Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average is $170.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $188.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74. The company has a market cap of $56.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.41.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 22nd were given a dividend of $0.227 per share. This represents a $0.91 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 22nd. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s payout ratio is currently 32.85%.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In related news, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 58,275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 218,239 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $38,137,265.25. This trade represents a 21.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO James A. Burke sold 41,426 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.32, for a total value of $8,339,882.32. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 246,522 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,629,809.04. The trade was a 14.39% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 405,876 shares of company stock worth $76,995,686 in the last 90 days. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Congress Asset Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 18.1% in the fourth quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 35,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,756,000 after purchasing an additional 5,476 shares during the period. Overbrook Management Corp acquired a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $7,912,000. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in Vistra by 1,373.0% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 305,362 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,264,000 after buying an additional 284,632 shares during the last quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Vistra by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,932 shares of the company’s stock valued at $634,000 after acquiring an additional 211 shares during the period. Finally, Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC lifted its stake in Vistra by 440.4% during the 4th quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 19,476 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,142,000 after acquiring an additional 15,872 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Company Profile

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.