Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 2.7% – What’s Next?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares dropped 2.7% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $149.19 and last traded at $150.4930. Approximately 6,841,468 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 10% from the average daily volume of 6,214,612 shares. The stock had previously closed at $154.60.

Key Headlines Impacting Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strategic acquisition: Vistra announced the purchase of Cogentrix Energy in a roughly $4.7B deal, adding dispatchable generation capacity to meet surging power demand — a long‑term revenue and market‑share positive even if it increases near‑term leverage. Vistra to buy Cogentrix Energy in $4.7 billion deal
• Positive Sentiment: Sector tailwinds: broader bullish narrative for utilities from rising, persistent data‑center and electrification demand supports higher valuation for reliable generation assets like those Vistra is buying. Why Utilities Stocks Are Your Best Friend in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Peer-signal: Analysis of Constellation and the sector highlights that buyers are valuing dispatchable generation; Vistra’s deal was cited as confirmation that generation assets are commanding premium prices. Constellation Energy Stock: Why Nuclear Is the New Tech Trade
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation check: recent coverage examines Vistra’s valuation after recent share weakness — useful context for investors but not an immediate catalyst. A Look At Vistra (VST) Valuation After Recent Share Price Weakness
• Neutral Sentiment: Performance retrospective: an article showing 5‑year returns provides background on longer‑term performance but is not a near‑term driver. If You Invested $1000 In Vistra Stock 5 Years Ago
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparisons and trend coverage: analyst and peer comparison pieces (Zacks, Duke vs. Vistra, AmericanBankingNews) are informing investor debate but don’t present a clear immediate catalyst. Vistra Corp. Is a Trending Stock (Zacks) Duke Energy and Vistra Financial Comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity: heavy put buying — investors purchased ~53,525 puts (≈115% above average). Large put volume can reflect directional bearish bets or hedging and often pressures the stock near term. (Entry report)

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen started coverage on Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on Vistra from $245.00 to $230.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and set a $230.00 price target (down from $241.00) on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, September 22nd. Daiwa America raised shares of Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $231.40.

Vistra Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $50.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.41. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $172.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $188.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.99.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The company reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by ($0.03). Vistra had a return on equity of 64.04% and a net margin of 6.70%.The company had revenue of $4.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.60 billion. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 22nd were issued a $0.227 dividend. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 22nd. This represents a $0.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Vistra’s payout ratio is presently 32.85%.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In related news, CEO James A. Burke sold 41,426 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.32, for a total transaction of $8,339,882.32. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 246,522 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,629,809.04. This represents a 14.39% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 56,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $168.86, for a total transaction of $9,456,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 306,600 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,772,476. The trade was a 15.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 427,240 shares of company stock worth $81,474,221 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VST. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Vistra by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 16,660,027 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,228,880,000 after acquiring an additional 226,514 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its holdings in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Lone Pine Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Vistra by 40.5% in the second quarter. Lone Pine Capital LLC now owns 6,469,719 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,253,896,000 after purchasing an additional 1,864,931 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Vistra in the second quarter valued at approximately $930,080,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Vistra by 0.8% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,572,642 shares of the company’s stock valued at $895,872,000 after purchasing an additional 35,258 shares in 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.