Vistra Corp. $VST Shares Sold by Kovack Advisors Inc.

Kovack Advisors Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 7.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 64,629 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,320 shares during the period. Vistra makes up approximately 1.2% of Kovack Advisors Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Kovack Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Vistra were worth $12,662,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 16,660,027 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,228,880,000 after acquiring an additional 226,514 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in Vistra by 15.1% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,106,465 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,392,299,000 after purchasing an additional 930,912 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $930,080,000. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Vistra by 25.2% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,537,384 shares of the company’s stock worth $879,390,000 after purchasing an additional 913,350 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in Vistra by 0.7% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,344,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $459,264,000 after purchasing an additional 16,321 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on VST shares. Bank of America dropped their price target on Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Vistra from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $230.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $237.53.

Vistra Stock Performance

NYSE:VST opened at $172.38 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The firm has a market cap of $58.41 billion, a PE ratio of 62.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.40. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $162.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $182.23. Vistra Corp. has a 1-year low of $90.51 and a 1-year high of $219.82.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.228 per share. This represents a $0.91 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 20th. Vistra’s payout ratio is 32.85%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 8,219 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.35, for a total value of $1,424,763.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 79,854 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,842,690.90. This represents a 9.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total value of $3,605,774.55. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 297,998 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,290,575.90. The trade was a 6.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Vistra News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly common dividend of $0.228/share (up ~0.4%), payable Mar 31 to holders of record Mar 20; company expects ~ $75M aggregate payment this quarter — a modest cash-return boost that supports income-oriented holders. Vistra Declares Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Vistra is tying long‑term power contracts to Texas data center capacity, reinforcing the company’s exposure to steady, growing demand from AI/data-center loads — this supports revenue visibility and long‑term contracted sales. Vistra Ties Texas Data Center Deals
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly earnings are imminent; Street models expect earnings growth, but some services flag that Vistra may lack the setup for a clear beat — investors will focus on guidance and margin drivers at the print. Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary (Seeking Alpha short analysis) highlights Vistra as an independent power leader positioned to benefit from 2026 AI-driven energy demand — useful thematic support but not immediate catalyst. Seeking Alpha Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank trimmed FY2025 EPS to $6.91 from $7.11 (still an Outperform rating with a $293 target). The cut lowers near‑term earnings expectations and can put downward pressure on the stock ahead of results. Scotiabank Lowers FY2025 EPS
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and leverage remain risk factors — VST’s P/E is elevated (~62x) and reported debt/equity is high (~5.74). Those fundamentals make the stock sensitive to earnings misses or weaker power margins. Valuation & Leverage Note

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.