JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Positive Forecast for Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price

Key Points

• JPMorgan raised its price target on Vistra to $240 with an "overweight" rating, implying roughly a 43.5% upside
• Vistra recently missed quarterly revenue and EPS ($2.18 vs. $2.45 expected), trades near $167 and carries high leverage (debt/equity ~6.01) and a lofty P/E (~77), leaving the stock sensitive to near‑term earnings and power‑market volatility.
• Investment‑grade upgrades from S&P and Fitch plus secular demand for AI data‑center power are key positive catalysts, but notable insider selling could pressure investor sentiment.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) had its price target increased by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $239.00 to $240.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price objective indicates a potential upside of 43.50% from the stock's previous close.

VST has been the subject of several other research reports. KeyCorp began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $217.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Vistra from $236.00 to $234.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 27th. UBS Group increased their price target on Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and set a $241.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $236.87.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of VST traded down $2.88 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $167.24. 2,935,196 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,601,954. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01. Vistra has a 52 week low of $90.51 and a 52 week high of $219.82. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $163.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $177.75. The firm has a market cap of $56.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 77.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.42.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $2.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.45 by ($0.27). The company had revenue of $4.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.75 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 5.32% and a return on equity of 81.09%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Vistra will post 7 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total transaction of $1,603,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 114,409 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,340,906.79. The trade was a 8.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Vistra by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 41,588,784 shares of the company's stock worth $6,709,519,000 after acquiring an additional 390,157 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted 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 purchasing an additional 226,514 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Vistra by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,965,648 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,441,112,000 after purchasing an additional 97,424 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in Vistra by 15.1% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,106,465 shares of the company's stock worth $1,392,299,000 after purchasing an additional 930,912 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Vistra during the second quarter worth approximately $930,080,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Vistra News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Two major credit upgrades to investment-grade (S&P earlier and Fitch recently) improve Vistra’s borrowing profile and reduce refinancing risk, a structural positive for cash flow stability and capital return capacity. Vistra Achieves Investment‑Grade Credit Ratings from S&P and Fitch
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley and other Wall Street shops remain constructive, highlighting Vistra’s position to capture rising demand for AI data-center power; Morgan Stanley carries a Buy and a ~$215 target, supporting upside expectations from analysts. Morgan Stanley is Bullish on Vistra Corp (VST) Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains overweight/buy — multiple firms have buy/overweight ratings and a median price target well above current levels, which can support buying interest on dips. Vistra Corp. NYSE: VST Given Consensus Rating of "Buy" by Brokerages
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage pieces are running a valuation check that points to improved fundamentals from the dual investment-grade upgrades plus secular AI demand — a narrative investors may view as a catalyst for multiple expansion over time. Vistra (VST) Valuation Check After Dual Investment Grade Upgrades And Rising AI Power Demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Increased investor attention (Zacks and others) is driving more coverage and speculative interest, which can amplify moves but doesn’t guarantee direction. Vistra Corp. (VST) is Attracting Investor Attention
• Negative Sentiment: SEC filings revealed a big jump in CEO pay for 2025 and extensive insider selling (large, repeated sales by the CEO and other executives). Heavy insider disposals can pressure sentiment and raise questions about timing of sales and future share supply. Vistra Corp. ($VST) President and CEO 2025 Pay Revealed
• Negative Sentiment: Operational/valuation headwinds: Vistra recently missed quarterly revenue and EPS consensus, and carries a high reported PE and significant leverage metrics—factors that make the stock sensitive to near-term earnings and power-market volatility (a possible reason for the share decline).

Vistra Company Profile

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.

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