Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 1.7% – Should You Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price traded down 1.7% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $164.23 and last traded at $167.2420. 2,939,957 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 48% from the average session volume of 5,619,289 shares. The stock had previously closed at $170.12.

More Vistra News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $240 and maintained an “Overweight” rating, implying meaningful upside from current levels — a clear buy-side catalyst. Benzinga: JPMorgan raises VST price target
• Positive Sentiment: Vistra secured investment‑grade credit ratings from S&P and Fitch, which reduces financing risk and could lower funding costs — a credit profile improvement investors typically reward. Vistra Achieves Investment‑Grade Credit Ratings from S&P and Fitch
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley and other research houses are bullish on Vistra’s role in powering AI infrastructure; Morgan Stanley has a Buy view with a $215 target, supporting upside expectations for demand-driven earnings growth. Morgan Stanley bullish on Vistra
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage includes valuation checks and analyst consensus (median price-targets in the low-to-mid $200s); these notes help contextualize upside but don’t change near-term fundamentals. Valuation check after upgrades and AI demand
• Negative Sentiment: SEC filing–based reports show a large increase in CEO pay for 2025 and extensive insider selling (CEO and several execs sold large blocks in the past 6 months), which can spook investors and signal profit‑taking. Quiver Quant: CEO pay and insider selling
• Negative Sentiment: Quiver’s data also highlights sizable institutional position changes (large sellers at some big funds), which may add downward pressure despite positive headlines. Quiver Quant: institutional moves

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on VST. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price 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. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. KeyCorp began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $217.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $191.00 to $203.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $236.87.

Vistra Stock Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $163.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $177.75. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01. The company has a market cap of $56.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 77.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.42.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $4.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.75 billion. As a group, research analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.228 per share. This represents a $0.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 20th. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.94%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total value of $1,603,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 114,409 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,340,906.79. The trade was a 8.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cornerstone Planning LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth approximately $659,000. World Investment Advisors grew its stake in shares of Vistra by 85.8% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 8,057 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,300,000 after acquiring an additional 3,721 shares during the last quarter. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC bought a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $282,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at $74,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in Vistra by 9,740.0% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 984 shares of the company’s stock valued at $159,000 after purchasing an additional 974 shares during 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.