Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Receives $232.40 Consensus Target Price from Brokerages

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) has earned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the nineteen research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, twelve have assigned a buy recommendation and four have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $231.40.

Several research analysts have weighed in on VST shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Vistra from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. KeyCorp assumed coverage on Vistra in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $217.00 target price on the stock. Cowen began coverage on Vistra in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Daiwa Capital Markets raised Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Scotiabank assumed coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, September 22nd. They set a “sector outperform” rating and a $256.00 target price for the company.

Vistra Stock Up 10.6%

VST opened at $166.60 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $170.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $188.48. Vistra has a 1-year low of $90.51 and a 1-year high of $219.82. The stock has a market cap of $56.45 billion, a PE ratio of 60.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The company reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.78 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $4.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.60 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 6.70% and a return on equity of 64.04%. As a group, research analysts expect that Vistra will post 7 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 22nd were paid a $0.227 dividend. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 22nd. This represents a $0.91 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.85%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 58,275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.75, for a total value of $10,183,556.25. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 218,239 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,137,265.25. The trade was a 21.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO James A. Burke sold 41,426 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.32, for a total value of $8,339,882.32. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 246,522 shares in the company, valued at $49,629,809.04. This represents a 14.39% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 405,876 shares of company stock worth $76,995,686 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of VST. Kirr Marbach & Co. LLC IN boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Kirr Marbach & Co. LLC IN now owns 168,713 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,698,000 after purchasing an additional 1,535 shares in the last quarter. ELCO Management Co. LLC bought a new position in Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $499,000. FUKOKU MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE Co acquired a new stake in Vistra in the second quarter valued at approximately $292,000. Peak Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the second quarter worth $547,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 1.7% during the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,099,120 shares of the company’s stock worth $406,830,000 after buying an additional 35,444 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vistra News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vistra announced 20-year power purchase agreements with Meta that will deliver more than 2,600 MW of zero-carbon energy (2,176 MW operating + 433 MW uprates) from three Vistra nuclear plants in PJM — described as the largest corporate-supported nuclear uprates in the U.S. This underpins long-term contracted revenue and demand from hyperscale customers. PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: Major outlets (WSJ, Yahoo Finance and others) picked up the Meta-Vistra deal; coverage emphasized that Meta is turning to nuclear to power AI data centers, which amplified investor interest in Vistra as a strategic supplier to tech hyperscalers. WSJ: Meta’s Nuclear Deals
• Positive Sentiment: Market headlines and premarket commentary flagged a multi-dealer lift in Vistra and peer Oklo after Meta’s announcement, which likely triggered momentum buying and higher volume. Yahoo Finance
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor pieces and analysts note Vistra’s positioning to benefit from rising data-center electricity demand; some articles highlight the company’s pricing power and long-term case for utility-like stability. The Motley Fool
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and prior share weakness pieces appeared this week, which provide context on why a confirmed long-term PPA matters for re-rating multiples — the deal reduces revenue uncertainty but valuation still reflects elevated expectations. Yahoo: Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually heavy put buying was reported the day before the announcement (53,525 puts), indicating some traders were positioned for downside or hedging; that activity could have amplified volatility around the news. (No article link provided)
• Negative Sentiment: Recent fundamentals: Vistra’s last reported quarter missed revenue/was slightly below EPS consensus and the company carries relatively high leverage (debt/equity), which keeps downside risk if power markets or margins weaken. (See company filings/earnings release for details.)

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.