Insider Selling: Vistra (NYSE:VST) EVP Sells $6,747,488.08 in Stock

Key Points

• Vistra EVP Scott Hudson sold 44,444 shares for approximately $6.75 million at an average price of $151.82 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, reducing his ownership by 11.83%.
• Vistra’s shares recently traded at $147.41, near their 50-day moving average and well below the 52-week high of $219.82. The company’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, with EPS of $0.76 versus the $1.61 consensus and revenue of $4.02 billion versus $5.46 billion expected.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive outlook, giving Vistra a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $223.53, while citing potential growth from nuclear agreements, data-center demand and the Cogentrix acquisition; high leverage remains a key risk.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) EVP Scott Hudson sold 44,444 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owned 331,137 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $50,273,219.34. This trade represents a 11.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VST traded down $3.69 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $147.41. 4,467,651 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,893,862. Vistra Corp. has a one year low of $132.66 and a one year high of $219.82. The company's 50 day moving average is $148.94 and its 200 day moving average is $154.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.90 and a beta of 1.40.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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). The business had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%. On average, research analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 9.21 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of Vistra

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

Key Headlines Impacting Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vistra’s diversified 43,641-MW generation fleet, hedging strategy, long-term power-purchase agreements and capacity revenues provide earnings stability while positioning the company to benefit from higher U.S. electricity demand. Can VST's Diversified Power Generation Fleet Drive Long-Term Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term nuclear agreements with Meta and Amazon Web Services, the Cogentrix acquisition and potential AI-related power demand could improve earnings visibility and offset softer conditions in ERCOT. One analysis cited adjusted EBITDA growth of more than 30% in the second quarter and 2026 guidance at or above its midpoint. Vistra: Cogentrix And Meta Can Offset A Softer ERCOT Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus. Bullish cases point to data-center, electrification and industrial load growth, as well as possible upside from Meta contracts, Cogentrix and other infrastructure initiatives that may not be fully reflected in current valuations. Vistra Receives Consensus Recommendation of Moderate Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary argues that VST has outperformed its industry and may be undervalued, but acknowledges that its high debt load and the need for a better entry point could limit near-term upside. Regulatory uncertainty and potential project delays also remain risks. VST Stock Outperforms Industry in the Past 3 Months: Time to Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: Vistra announced an underwritten public offering of multiple series of junior subordinated unsecured notes. While the proceeds could support corporate needs, the added financing reinforces concerns about leverage and may weigh on investor sentiment. Vistra Announces Registered Offering of Junior Subordinated Notes

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VST has been the subject of a number of research reports. Seaport Research Partners reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, June 15th. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Vistra from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and set a $212.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price target on Vistra from $233.00 to $227.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $223.53.

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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