Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Down 2.7% - Here's Why

Key Points

• Shares fell 2.7% intraday to about $154 on volume up ~53% even though Vistra reported a sizable quarter beat — EPS $2.90 vs. $1.46 expected and revenue $5.64B vs. $5.22B consensus.
• Analysts remain broadly positive with a consensus Buy rating and an average target price of $233.93, though individual price targets vary across firms.
• Vistra raised its quarterly dividend to $0.229 (annualized $0.92, ~0.6% yield); however, the company has high leverage (debt‑to‑equity 6.01) and a rich P/E of 71, which may temper valuation views.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) shares were down 2.7% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $153.77 and last traded at $154.0670. Approximately 7,802,550 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 53% from the average daily volume of 5,102,930 shares. The stock had previously closed at $158.29.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VST has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group increased their price objective on Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. TD Cowen lowered their target price on Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $208.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 price objective on Vistra in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $233.93.

Vistra Stock Down 2.7%

The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $159.59 and a 200 day moving average price of $166.90. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $52.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 71.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.43.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.90 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $1.44. Vistra had a net margin of 5.32% and a return on equity of 81.09%. The company had revenue of $5.64 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.22 billion. On average, research analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 9.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 22nd will be issued a $0.229 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 22nd. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's payout ratio is currently 41.94%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,340,906.79. This represents a 8.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.92% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in Vistra by 24.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 20,190 shares of the company's stock worth $2,371,000 after purchasing an additional 3,920 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 40.7% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 28,744 shares of the company's stock worth $3,376,000 after acquiring an additional 8,312 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth raised its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 2,125 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Vistra during the second quarter worth about $269,000. Finally, Slocum Gordon & Co LLP raised its position in Vistra by 20.0% during the second quarter. Slocum Gordon & Co LLP now owns 1,200 shares of the company's stock worth $233,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

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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