Vistra (NYSE:VST) Board of Directors Declares Share Repurchase Plan

Key Points

• Vistra authorized a $1.5 billion share buyback, allowing it to repurchase up to 3.3% of its outstanding shares.
• The company beat third-quarter expectations, reporting EPS of $3.25 versus the $2.98 consensus and revenue of $6.35 billion versus $6.03 billion; it also raised its 2026 outlook.
• Vistra increased its quarterly dividend slightly to $0.231 per share, equivalent to $0.92 annually.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Friday, November 6th, RTT News reports. The company plans to buy back $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 3.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Share repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on VST shares. Scotiabank lowered their price target on Vistra from $207.00 to $189.00 and set a "sector outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Siebert Williams Shank began coverage on Vistra in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $202.00 price target on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $181.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday. Williams Trading set a $202.00 price objective on Vistra in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, HSBC assumed coverage on Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. They set a "buy" rating and a $190.00 price objective for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vistra has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $205.00.

Vistra Price Performance

NYSE:VST traded up $11.64 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $124.53. 12,508,216 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,060,803. The company has a market capitalization of $41.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.04 and a beta of 1.37. The business has a 50 day moving average of $143.88 and a 200 day moving average of $152.65. Vistra has a 1-year low of $110.89 and a 1-year high of $196.80. 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 - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 6th. The company reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.98 by $0.27. Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%. The company had revenue of $6.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.03 billion. Research analysts forecast that Vistra will post 8.74 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 22nd will be issued a $0.2310 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 22nd. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Vistra's dividend payout ratio is presently 15.54%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other news, CEO James Burke acquired 4,465 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $135.25 per share, with a total value of $603,891.25. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 1,146,352 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $155,044,108. The trade was a 0.39% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 44,444 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.82, for a total transaction of $6,747,488.08. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 331,137 shares of the company's stock, valued at $50,273,219.34. This trade represents a 11.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Vistra News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vistra reported third-quarter EPS of $3.25, above the $2.98 consensus, and net income of $1.14 billion versus FactSet’s $1.01 billion estimate. Ongoing Operations Adjusted EBITDA rose more than 50% year over year to $2.378 billion. Vistra Q3 results
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 outlook and announced a $1.5 billion share repurchase authorization, supporting expectations for stronger earnings and shareholder returns. Vistra raises outlook and announces buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed its “Outperform” rating and set a $181 price target, signaling substantial upside from the cited share price. Bernstein rating and target
• Negative Sentiment: Investors still face uncertainty over potential Texas policy changes and their effects on data-center development and electricity demand. KeyBanc’s recent downgrade reflected those concerns. KeyBanc downgrade and Texas policy risks

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.

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