Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading 10.6% Higher – Time to Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price traded up 10.6% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $174.74 and last traded at $166.6010. 14,276,097 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 89% from the average session volume of 7,560,298 shares. The stock had previously closed at $150.60.

Vistra News Roundup

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.)

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on VST. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Vistra from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Scotiabank began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, September 22nd. They set a “sector outperform” rating and a $256.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $228.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $231.40.

Vistra Trading Up 10.6%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74. The company has a market capitalization of $56.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.41. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $170.87 and its 200 day moving average price is $188.50.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The company reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $4.97 billion for 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, equities research analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 7 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were 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 represents a 6.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 58,275 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.75, for a total transaction of $10,183,556.25. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 218,239 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $38,137,265.25. This represents a 21.07% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 405,876 shares of company stock worth $76,995,686. 1.42% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. now owns 1,787 shares of the company’s stock worth $350,000 after buying an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd increased its position in shares of Vistra by 7.1% during the third quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd now owns 916 shares of the company’s stock valued at $168,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in Vistra by 0.9% during the third quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 7,045 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,380,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC boosted its position in Vistra by 2.0% in the third quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 3,275 shares of the company’s stock worth $642,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Effects LLC grew its stake in Vistra by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,133,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.