Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading 1.1% Higher Following Dividend Announcement

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shot up 1.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday after the company announced a dividend. The company traded as high as $172.57 and last traded at $172.3790. 3,149,612 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 50% from the average session volume of 6,266,019 shares. The stock had previously closed at $170.57.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 20th will be issued a $0.228 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 20th. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.91 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.49%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on VST. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $215.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Evercore increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Three equities 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, Vistra has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $236.73.

Vistra Trading Down 0.8%

The stock has a market capitalization of $58.01 billion, a PE ratio of 61.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $162.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $181.94.

Vistra News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board-approved dividend: Vistra declared a quarterly common dividend of $0.228/share (payable Mar 31; record Mar 20), a 0.4% increase that signals steady cash returns and supports income-oriented holders. Vistra Declares Dividend on Common Stock and Series A Preferred Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Data-center demand story: Company links new Texas data-center deals to long-term power demand growth (AI/colocation), reinforcing Vistra’s revenue tailwinds from large-scale power contracts. Vistra Ties Texas Data Center Deals To Long Term Power Demand Story
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst thematic support: Recent write-ups (e.g., Seeking Alpha) highlight Vistra as an independent power leader positioned to benefit from rising AI-related electricity demand — a constructive narrative for medium-term growth. Vistra Corp. (VST): Independent Power Leader And The 2026 AI Energy Demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings: Vistra is set to report quarterly results next week; investors will focus on same-store generation, margin trends, and forward guidance for 2026. Short-term volatility is likely around the print. Vistra (VST) to Release Quarterly Earnings on Thursday
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank revision: Scotiabank trimmed its FY2025 EPS estimate to $6.91 from $7.11 but retained an Outperform rating and a $293 price target — a mixed signal (lowered near-term profit outlook but continued bullish long-term view). Vistra Corp. (VST) – MarketBeat
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings-beat skepticism: Zacks flagged that Vistra may lack the key ingredients for an upcoming earnings beat, which raises downside risk if results or guidance disappoint. Vistra Corp. (VST) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation & leverage concerns: The stock trades at a high P/E (~62) and the company shows heavy leverage (debt-to-equity ~5.7); these raise investor sensitivity to any earnings or cash-flow misses and can amplify downside. No direct article link

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 8,219 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.35, for a total value of $1,424,763.65. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 79,854 shares in the company, valued at $13,842,690.90. This represents a 9.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total value of $3,605,774.55. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 297,998 shares in the company, valued at $48,290,575.90. This trade represents a 6.95% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.42% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Vistra by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 41,588,784 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,709,519,000 after purchasing an additional 390,157 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Vistra by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 16,660,027 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,228,880,000 after buying an additional 226,514 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Vistra by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,965,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,441,112,000 after buying an additional 97,424 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake 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 valued at $1,392,299,000 after buying an additional 930,912 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the second quarter valued at approximately $930,080,000. 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.