Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts give Vistra a “Moderate Buy” consensus: Fourteen of 17 firms rate the stock a buy, one rates it a strong buy and two recommend holding. The average 12-month price target is approximately $223.53, well above the reported $150.99 share price.
• Recent earnings fell short of expectations: Vistra reported quarterly EPS of $0.76 versus the $1.61 consensus and revenue of $4.02 billion compared with the expected $5.46 billion. Regulatory delays and project execution remain near-term risks, despite potential upside from electricity demand, data centers and acquisitions.
• Vistra raised its dividend and maintains strong institutional support: The quarterly dividend is $0.23 per share, or $0.92 annualized, while institutional investors own 90.88% of the stock. Insiders, however, sold 31,988 shares worth about $5.18 million over the past 90 days.

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the seventeen research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $223.5294.

VST has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 price target on Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Vistra from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $255.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective 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 set a $187.00 target price on shares of Vistra and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vistra news, Director Paul Barbas sold 244 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.00, for a total value of $37,332.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 53,006 shares in the company, valued at $8,109,918. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Scott Helm sold 25,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $4,000,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 232,200 shares in the company, valued at $37,152,000. This trade represents a 9.72% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 31,988 shares of company stock valued at $5,178,427 in the last 90 days. 0.92% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth $38,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vistra may be positioned for a guidance increase as power demand, capacity revenues and operating performance support earnings. A higher outlook could highlight the stock’s potential undervaluation relative to its growth prospects. Vistra: Set For A Guidance Boost, Exposing Its Undervaluation
• Positive Sentiment: One bank reportedly sees substantial upside for VST after its prolonged decline, suggesting the current valuation may not reflect the company’s earnings potential. Vistra Has Edged Lower Throughout 2026: One Bank Says It's On The Verge of Doubling
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see long-term growth from Vistra’s 43,641-megawatt, multi-fuel generation fleet, which reduces reliance on any single energy source and provides exposure to rising U.S. electricity demand. Can VST's Diversified Power Generation Fleet Drive Long-Term Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Another bullish view values Vistra’s core operations above the current market level and identifies additional upside from data-center agreements, Helix, Cogentrix and Meta power contracts that are not fully reflected in the base valuation. Vistra: The Part Of The Story Investors May Be Overlooking
• Neutral Sentiment: Vistra’s AI-related power strategy and expected fiscal 2027 adjusted EBITDA of $7.6 billion to $8.3 billion could support a higher valuation, although the outlook depends on successful data-center partnerships and acquisitions. Vistra: AI Power Provider Meets Load Growth & Acquisition Upside
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory moratoriums could delay new projects, while Vistra’s latest quarterly results missed consensus estimates for both earnings and revenue, providing a near-term reason for investor caution.

Vistra Stock Performance

NYSE:VST opened at $150.99 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87. The business's 50-day moving average price is $148.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $154.25. The stock has a market cap of $50.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.51 and a beta of 1.40. Vistra has a twelve month low of $132.66 and a twelve month high of $219.82.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by ($0.85). The company had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Vistra will post 9.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's payout ratio is presently 15.54%.

About Vistra

Vistra Corp. is an integrated energy company headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company operates electricity generation and retail energy businesses, serving residential, commercial, industrial and wholesale customers primarily across the United States.

Vistra's generation portfolio includes natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar and battery energy storage facilities. Through its retail operations, the company provides electricity, natural gas and renewable energy plans under brands that include TXU Energy, Dynegy, Homefield Energy and Ambit Energy.

The company was established in 2016 following the separation of Energy Future Holdings' competitive energy businesses.

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