Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 2.2% – Should You Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s stock price traded down 2.2% during trading on Tuesday. The stock traded as low as $129.30 and last traded at $130.9910. Approximately 4,024,047 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 24% from the average session volume of 5,314,438 shares. The stock had previously closed at $133.92.

Vistra News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings rose 84.6% year over year and revenue increased 27.7%, with stronger power pricing and retail margins driving results. Vistra also raised its 2026 EBITDA guidance, a positive signal for near-term performance. VST Q3 Earnings Beat on Strong Power Pricing, Revenues Rise Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined stronger cash flow per share through 2030, citing the Cogentrix acquisition, power contracts and buybacks. These plans could support shareholder returns, though the company acknowledged demand risks. Vistra Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Cash Flow Plans & Demand Risks
• Negative Sentiment: One report highlights Vistra’s greater exposure to Texas, where political changes could pose challenges for data-center growth. That could weigh on expectations for future electricity demand, an important growth driver for power producers. Vistra and Constellation Both Fell Sharply After the Election. One Has Far More Exposure to Texas.
• Neutral Sentiment: Vistra filed a prospectus supplement under its automatic shelf registration. The filing allows for potential securities offerings but does not, by itself, confirm that an offering will occur; an actual issuance could dilute shareholders. Vistra Files Prospectus Supplement With SEC for Securities Offering

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on VST shares. BNP Paribas Exane set a $255.00 price target on shares of Vistra and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $181.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday. HSBC began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $190.00 price objective for the company. KeyCorp cut Vistra from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 4th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $202.48.

Vistra Trading Down 2.2%

The stock has a market cap of $43.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.13 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $143.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $152.52.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 6th. The company reported $3.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.98 by $0.25. Vistra had a net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 108.68%. The company had revenue of $6.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.03 billion. Equities research analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 22nd will be issued a $0.2310 dividend. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 22nd. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is currently 15.54%.

Vistra declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Friday, November 6th that allows the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 3.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Share buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, CEO James Burke purchased 4,465 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $135.25 per share, for a total transaction of $603,891.25. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,146,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $155,044,108. This represents a 0.39% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 44,444 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.82, for a total value of $6,747,488.08. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 331,137 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $50,273,219.34. This trade represents a 11.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Vistra by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 7,163 shares of the company’s stock worth $991,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. Paralel Advisors LLC grew its position in Vistra by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Paralel Advisors LLC now owns 15,540 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,150,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its position in Vistra by 26.9% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 809,741 shares of the company’s stock valued at $113,161,000 after purchasing an additional 171,553 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its stake in Vistra by 9.4% during the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 6,481 shares of the company’s stock valued at $897,000 after purchasing an additional 558 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Guidance Capital Inc. increased its stake in Vistra by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Guidance Capital Inc. now owns 8,258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,112,000 after purchasing an additional 224 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Vistra

Vistra Corp. is an integrated energy company that generates and sells electricity and provides related services to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Its retail businesses offer electricity plans and energy services through brands that include TXU Energy and Ambit Energy. The company owns and operates a diverse generation fleet, including natural gas, nuclear, coal and solar facilities, as well as battery energy storage systems. Its operations serve customers and wholesale power markets across multiple U.S. regions, including Texas and the eastern and central United States.