Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading 2.7% Higher - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Shares of Vistra traded up about 2.7% intraday to roughly $158 on Thursday, though volume was ~22% below the recent session average.
• The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.229 per share (paid June 30) and recently increased the payout, signaling management confidence while yielding about 0.6% annually.
• Vistra recently missed quarterly expectations (EPS $2.18 vs. $2.45, revenue $4.58B vs. $5.75B) and shows a high P/E (~72.8) and elevated leverage (debt/equity ≈6.0), yet analysts remain broadly positive with an average price target near $235 and mostly "Buy" ratings.

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) traded up 2.7% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $159.63 and last traded at $157.9050. 3,946,018 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 22% from the average session volume of 5,085,177 shares. The stock had previously closed at $153.79.

Key Headlines Impacting Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board declares quarterly common dividend of $0.2290 per share (≈$75M aggregate), payable June 30 — provides a direct cash return to shareholders and signals management confidence in cash flow. Vistra Declares Dividend on Common Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, and Series C Preferred Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst write‑ups highlight Vistra’s push into nuclear generation and view its valuation as cheaper versus peers like Southern Co., supporting a constructive long‑term thesis around cleaner generation and potential multiple expansion. Vistra or Southern Co.: Which Utility Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage is re‑testing Vistra’s valuation after recent price volatility — investors are re‑assessing multiples against FY revenue (~$17.7B) and recent net income, which may sustain trading interest and volatility. Assessing Vistra (VST) Valuation After Recent Share Price Volatility
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting increased investor attention/volume can amplify intraday moves but does not by itself resolve direction; watch flows and options activity for short‑term impact. Vistra Corp. (VST) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings previews from Yahoo Finance and Zacks argue Vistra lacks the setup for a likely earnings beat in the upcoming report — a miss or conservative guidance could trigger downside given the stock’s premium forward multiple. Vistra Corp. (VST) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week's Release Vistra Corp. (VST) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week's Release
• Negative Sentiment: Financial metrics point to risk if growth stalls: a high reported P/E (~72.8) and elevated leverage (debt/equity ≈6.0) increase sensitivity to earnings misses or lower power margins. Investors should weigh dividend support and long‑term strategy against near‑term execution and capital structure risk.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 price target on Vistra in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Scotiabank boosted their price target on Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Vistra from $236.00 to $234.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Three 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 stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $235.27.

Vistra Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.78. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $160.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $168.25. The company has a market cap of $53.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 72.77, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.49.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last released its 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). Vistra had a return on equity of 81.09% and a net margin of 5.32%.The business had revenue of $4.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.75 billion. As a group, research analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 8.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 20th were given a dividend of $0.228 per share. This represents a $0.91 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's payout ratio is presently 41.94%.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In other Vistra news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.92% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Kestra Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 132.7% during the 1st quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 92,117 shares of the company's stock worth $13,848,000 after acquiring an additional 52,529 shares in the last quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 17.8% during the 1st quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 11,665 shares of the company's stock worth $1,754,000 after acquiring an additional 1,760 shares in the last quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 27.9% during the 1st quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV now owns 3,048 shares of the company's stock worth $458,000 after acquiring an additional 665 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 804,322 shares of the company's stock worth $120,914,000 after acquiring an additional 8,034 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 103,133 shares of the company's stock worth $15,449,000 after acquiring an additional 1,401 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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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