Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Climb 10.3% Following Earnings Beat

Key Points

• Vistra shares rose 10.3% after quarterly results beat expectations: EPS was $3.25 versus a $2.98 consensus, and revenue was $6.35 billion versus an estimate of $6.03 billion.
• Quarterly net income reached $1.14 billion, while adjusted EBITDA from ongoing operations increased more than 50% year over year. Vistra also raised its 2026 outlook and authorized a $1.5 billion share buyback.
• Investors still face uncertainty around Texas policies and future data-center power demand, alongside some analyst downgrades and lower price targets; overall, analysts’ consensus rating remains “Moderate Buy.”

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) shares were up 10.3% during trading on Friday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $125.80 and last traded at $124.5280. Approximately 12,347,837 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 133% from the average daily volume of 5,303,835 shares. The stock had previously closed at $112.89.

The company reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.98 by $0.27. Vistra had a net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 108.68%. The company had revenue of $6.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.03 billion.

Vistra Increases Dividend

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

Vistra News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vistra reported Q3 net income of $1.14 billion and ongoing-operations Adjusted EBITDA of $2.378 billion, up more than 50% year over year. EPS of $3.25 exceeded the cited analyst consensus of $2.98. The company also raised its 2026 outlook, supporting expectations for stronger earnings. Vistra Q3 results
• Positive Sentiment: The company announced a $1.5 billion share-buyback authorization, which could return capital to shareholders and provide support for the stock. Vistra earnings and buyback report
• Neutral Sentiment: Q3 revenue descriptions were mixed: some coverage characterized revenue as below expectations, while other reported figures showed it ahead of estimates. Investors may weigh this alongside the stronger profit and guidance. Vistra revenue coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Texas election results have raised uncertainty about potential policy changes affecting data-center growth and future power demand. KeyBanc’s downgrade and earlier analyst estimate cuts have added to caution, though BMO maintained an outperform rating despite lowering its price target. KeyBanc downgrade and Texas policy concerns

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on VST. Williams Trading set a $202.00 price target on Vistra in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Vistra from $196.00 to $194.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 27th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on Vistra from $210.00 to $188.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings downgraded Vistra from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners reduced their target price on Vistra from $226.00 to $202.00 in a report on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $205.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 22,222 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.14, for a total value of $3,558,631.08. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 308,915 shares in the company, valued at $49,469,648.10. This represents a 6.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO James Burke purchased 4,465 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $135.25 per share, for a total transaction of $603,891.25. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 1,146,352 shares in the company, valued at approximately $155,044,108. This represents a 0.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VST. Apella Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Vistra by 2.6% in the third quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 2,728 shares of the company's stock worth $377,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 3,400 shares of the company's stock worth $470,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 5.3% during the 2nd quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the company's stock worth $274,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Portfolio Design Labs LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Portfolio Design Labs LLC now owns 7,348 shares of the company's stock worth $1,166,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson raised its position in shares of Vistra by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 4,521 shares of the company's stock worth $680,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vistra Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $41.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.04 and a beta of 1.37. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $144.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $152.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.97.

Vistra Company Profile

Vistra Corp. NYSE: VST is an integrated energy company based in Irving, Texas. The company operates across electricity generation, power distribution support, energy marketing and retail electricity sales, serving residential, commercial and industrial customers primarily in the United States.

Vistra owns and operates a diverse portfolio of power generation and energy storage facilities. Its assets include natural gas, nuclear, coal and renewable generation, as well as battery storage projects.

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