Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 4% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) fell 4% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $146.98 and last traded at $147.8040. 8,000,631 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 56% from the average session volume of 5,136,565 shares. The stock had previously closed at $153.95.

Key Vistra News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vistra reported first-quarter EPS of $2.90, well above expectations, and revenue of $5.64 billion versus estimates of $5.22 billion, showing strong operating momentum. Conference Call / Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: The company swung to a quarterly profit as rising power demand and higher prices boosted results, reinforcing the bullish demand backdrop for its electricity business. Reuters Article
• Positive Sentiment: Vistra reaffirmed its 2026 guidance for adjusted EBITDA and adjusted free cash flow, signaling management confidence in the outlook despite market volatility. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: The company also received an investment-grade credit rating upgrade from a second major agency, which can improve financing flexibility and support valuation. Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to hold a consensus “Buy” rating on Vistra, suggesting Wall Street remains constructive but not necessarily surprised by the longer-term story. Analyst Rating Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Several commentary pieces focused on whether Vistra’s strong multi-year run leaves room for further upside, which may temper enthusiasm even after the earnings beat. Valuation Commentary

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $236.00 to $234.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 27th. TD Cowen cut their target price on Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Bank of America reduced their target price on Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their price target on Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Vistra currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $233.93.

Vistra Stock Down 4.0%

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 capitalization of $50.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 68.11, a P/E/G ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 1.43. The business’s 50-day moving average is $159.25 and its 200-day moving average is $166.57.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $2.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.45 by ($0.27). The company had revenue of $4.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.75 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 81.09% and a net margin of 5.32%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 9.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.229 per share. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 22nd. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is 41.94%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total transaction of $1,603,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 114,409 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,340,906.79. This trade represents a 8.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VST. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Archer Investment Corp raised its position in shares of Vistra by 2,700.0% in the third quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 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.