Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Down 1.4% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Vistra shares slipped about 1.4% to ~$163 on Friday but remain above the 50‑day moving average and roughly +43% year‑over‑year, although trading volume was ~22% below average, suggesting momentum may be fragile.
• Fundamental concerns include a recent earnings and revenue miss (EPS $2.18 vs. $2.45; revenue $4.58B vs. $5.75B), a high debt‑to‑equity ratio (6.01), an elevated P/E (~75), and recent insider selling.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive — MarketBeat shows a consensus Buy rating with an average price target of $236.87, and several firms have maintained or raised bullish ratings.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) shares fell 1.4% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $162.26 and last traded at $163.1430. 4,093,226 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 22% from the average session volume of 5,225,541 shares. The stock had previously closed at $165.53.

Vistra News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Technical momentum — VST is trading above its 50‑day simple moving average and is up ~43% year‑over‑year, a signal some momentum traders and quant funds use to buy. This supports near‑term demand for the stock. Vistra Stock Trades Above 50-Day SMA: Buy, Hold or Take Profits?
• Positive Sentiment: Digital transformation signal — Vistra appointed Damian Leach as Chief AI & Digital Officer to accelerate AI and digital capabilities, which may improve operational efficiency, hedging analytics and customer offerings over time. Investors often reward visible tech/efficiency initiatives in commodity‑exposed companies. Vistra Names Chief AI And Digital Officer As Investors Weigh Valuation
• Positive Sentiment: High profile endorsement — Jim Cramer publicly called Vistra “a steal” on Mad Money, which can boost retail interest and buying pressure in the short term. Jim Cramer on Vistra: “I Know It’s Utility, Doesn’t Matter, It’s a Steal”
• Neutral Sentiment: Cramer comparison / sector choice — in other comments Cramer named Sempra his preferred pick over Vistra and Constellation; that introduces mixed media context and may limit further upside from Cramer’s endorsement alone. Jim Cramer Names Sempra His Favorite Choice Over Vistra and Constellation
• Neutral Sentiment: Price action context — recent intraday gains (e.g., a 1.6% session close) show continued buying, but volume has been below recent averages so momentum may be fragile until confirmed by stronger volume or fundamental beats. Vistra Corp. (VST) Surpasses Market Returns: Some Facts Worth Knowing
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and fundamentals — notable insider dispositions over the last year and the company’s leverage/valuation (high D/E and elevated P/E) are potential red flags for some investors; together with past quarterly revenue/earnings misses, this likely contributes to profit‑taking or cautious institutional positioning. Possible Bearish Signals With Vistra Insiders Disposing Stock

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on VST. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Vistra from $236.00 to $234.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Vistra from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $205.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $215.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $241.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vistra currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $236.87.

Vistra Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $55.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 75.18, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The business's fifty day moving average price is $161.01 and its 200 day moving average price is $171.09.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $2.18 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 return on equity of 81.09% and a net margin of 5.32%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 20th were issued a $0.228 dividend. This is a boost from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 20th. This represents a $0.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.94%.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In related news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total value of $1,603,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 114,409 shares in the company, valued at $18,340,906.79. This trade represents a 8.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in Vistra by 24.1% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 20,190 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,371,000 after buying an additional 3,920 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its holdings in Vistra by 40.7% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 28,744 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,376,000 after buying an additional 8,312 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth raised its holdings in Vistra by 37.3% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 7,828 shares of the company's stock worth $920,000 after purchasing an additional 2,125 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $269,000. Finally, Slocum Gordon & Co LLP raised its holdings in Vistra by 20.0% during the 2nd quarter. Slocum Gordon & Co LLP now owns 1,200 shares of the company's stock worth $233,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

About Vistra

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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