Vistra (NYSE:VST) Upgraded at Zacks Research

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

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the company. KeyCorp lowered Vistra from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 4th. Mizuho initiated coverage on Vistra in a research report on Monday, August 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $169.00 target price on the stock. Seaport Research Partners cut their target price on Vistra from $226.00 to $202.00 in a research report on Monday, November 2nd. BNP Paribas Exane set a $255.00 target price on Vistra and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reduced their target price on Vistra from $201.00 to $181.00 and set an “outperformer” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $200.45.

Vistra Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE VST traded down $1.56 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $132.95. 3,206,522 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,001,420. Vistra has a 52-week low of $110.89 and a 52-week high of $189.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.12 billion, a PE ratio of 17.97 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.16. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $143.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $151.96.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 6th. The company reported $3.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.98 by $0.25. The business had revenue of $6.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.03 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 113.41% and a net margin of 13.15%. Analysts forecast that Vistra will post 8.69 EPS for the current year.

Vistra declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Friday, November 6th that authorizes the company to buy back $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 3.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Share buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.43%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 44,444 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.82, for a total value 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 $50,273,219.34. The trade was a 11.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO James Burke acquired 4,465 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $135.25 per share, for a total transaction of $603,891.25. Following the purchase, 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 SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Apella Capital LLC grew its position in Vistra by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 2,728 shares of the company’s stock worth $377,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 3,400 shares of the company’s stock worth $470,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. L2 Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 1,996 shares of the company’s stock worth $276,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 5.3% during the 2nd quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the company’s stock worth $274,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, Portfolio Design Labs LLC raised its position in shares of Vistra by 1.2% during the second quarter. Portfolio Design Labs LLC now owns 7,348 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,166,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Vistra

Here are a few of the latest headlines about VST:

• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank modestly raised its EPS forecasts to $8.86 for FY2026 and $10.00 for FY2027, maintaining its “Sector Outperform” rating and $169 price target—above the cited share price of $132.95. Scotiabank estimate update
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded its view of Vistra from “strong sell” to “hold,” a less bearish assessment, though it is not a Buy recommendation. Zacks rating update
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street Zen also upgraded Vistra to Buy, adding another favorable analyst signal. Wall Street Zen upgrade

About Vistra

Vistra Corp. is an integrated energy company that generates and sells electricity and provides related services to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Its retail businesses offer electricity plans and energy services through brands that include TXU Energy and Ambit Energy. The company owns and operates a diverse generation fleet, including natural gas, nuclear, coal and solar facilities, as well as battery energy storage systems. Its operations serve customers and wholesale power markets across multiple U.S. regions, including Texas and the eastern and central United States.