Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Stock Has Average Price Target of $219.33 According to Brokerages

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $217.61.

Several research firms have recently commented on VST. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Vistra from $222.00 to $221.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Vistra from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Vistra from $212.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $181.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 1st.

Vistra Trading Up 3.9%

NYSE:VST opened at $166.77 on Monday. Vistra has a one year low of $132.66 and a one year high of $217.10. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $143.51 and a 200-day moving average price of $151.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $55.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.17 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last released its earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.61 by ($0.85). Vistra had a net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 108.68%. The company had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.46 billion. Sell-side analysts forecast that Vistra will post 9.04 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were paid a dividend of $0.23 per share. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.2290. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 15.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 331,137 shares in the company, 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO James Burke acquired 4,465 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was acquired at an average price of $135.25 per share, for a total transaction of $603,891.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,146,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $155,044,108. This represents a 0.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VST. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,610,496,000. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Vistra by 0.5% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 16,850,452 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,672,987,000 after buying an additional 79,972 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $574,499,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 1.0% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,436,880 shares of the company’s stock worth $516,616,000 after buying an additional 32,982 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the second quarter worth $468,354,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. Department of Energy announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $4.2 billion to help Vistra expand capacity and extend the operating lives of nuclear plants in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The funding could reduce project-financing needs, support additional generation and improve the long-term value of Vistra’s nuclear fleet. DoE confirms up to $4.2B loan to Vistra
• Positive Sentiment: The announcement reinforced the market’s view that reliable, around-the-clock nuclear electricity will become increasingly valuable as AI data centers expand. Vistra’s long-term power agreements with large customers, including Meta and New Era Energy, provide additional visibility into future demand and revenue. Vistra Stock Gains as Federal Funds Fuel Nuclear Power Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Vistra rallied alongside Constellation Energy and Talen Energy after a separate announcement involving a long-term Google commitment to nuclear power. Investors interpreted the deal as evidence that hyperscalers may sign multiyear contracts for firm nuclear generation, potentially supporting higher power prices and cash flows across the sector. Constellation Energy, Vistra and Talen move on AI nuclear deals
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and investors continue comparing Vistra with Talen as potential AI-power beneficiaries. The key issue is how much of the opportunity becomes shareholder cash flow after capital spending, financing costs and debt service. Vistra vs. Talen: Which AI Power Stock Has the Stronger Cash-Flow Case?
• Negative Sentiment: Vistra is challenging a PJM market proposal at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, arguing it is discriminatory and legally flawed. Although the filing seeks to protect future investment incentives, regulatory uncertainty could affect market revenues and investment planning in the region. Vistra’s high leverage remains an additional risk for investors.

About Vistra

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is an integrated energy company headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company operates electricity generation facilities and provides electricity and related energy services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Its portfolio includes natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery energy storage assets.

Vistra also operates a retail electricity business that offers power plans, renewable energy options, and energy-management services. Its retail brands include TXU Energy, Homefield Energy, Dynegy, and Ambit Energy, serving customers in competitive electricity markets across the United States.