Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Vistra (NYSE:VST)

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Traders acquired 52,402 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 52% compared to the typical daily volume of 34,572 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VST has been the subject of several analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane set a $255.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. UBS Group cut their target price on Vistra from $233.00 to $227.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Siebert Williams Shank began coverage on Vistra in a research note on Friday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $202.00 price target on the stock. Williams Trading set a $202.00 price objective on Vistra in a report on Friday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on Vistra from $231.00 to $210.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $217.61.

More Vistra News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. Department of Energy reportedly plans to provide approximately $4.2 billion in financing for capacity upgrades at Vistra’s Perry, Davis-Besse and Beaver Valley nuclear plants. The projects could add about 433 megawatts while reducing the amount of capital Vistra must fund itself. Vistra Gets $4.2B Federal Loan to Add Nuclear Power Meta Already Bought
• Positive Sentiment: Much of the additional nuclear output reportedly has long-term buyers, including a 20-year power purchase agreement with Meta. Vistra also has a 20-year, 207-megawatt agreement to supply a Texas data center, improving revenue visibility and reducing exposure to volatile wholesale power prices. Vistra Powers New Era’s AI Data Center Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity was notably bullish: traders purchased 52,402 call options, 52% above the average daily volume. Analysts and commentators also highlighted potential upside from stronger nuclear demand, with one research view estimating a fair value near $190.62. Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Vistra
• Positive Sentiment: Vistra extended the maturity of its revolving credit facility to September 2027, providing additional liquidity flexibility. A reported $1 billion share-repurchase authorization and an increased quarterly dividend may also support shareholder returns. Vistra Extends Revolving Credit Maturity
• Neutral Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets reduced its price target from $231 to $210 but maintained an “outperform” rating, indicating continued optimism despite a more conservative valuation. Vistra Stock Price Target Cut by BMO Capital Markets
• Negative Sentiment: Vistra remains highly leveraged, with a debt-to-equity ratio near 5.87. Its latest reported quarter also missed consensus estimates for both earnings and revenue, underscoring execution and balance-sheet risks if nuclear upgrades or data-center contracts are delayed.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of VST opened at $145.03 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87. Vistra has a 12-month low of $132.66 and a 12-month high of $217.10. The stock has a market cap of $48.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.50 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a 50-day moving average of $142.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $151.11.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by ($0.85). The company had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 108.68%. As a group, research analysts predict that Vistra will post 9.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st were issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.2290. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. Vistra’s payout ratio is presently 15.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 44,444 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 331,137 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,273,219.34. This trade represents a 11.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO James Burke bought 4,465 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $135.25 per share, for a total transaction of $603,891.25. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 1,146,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $155,044,108. This represents a 0.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VST. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Vistra during the second quarter worth about $4,610,496,000. Capital World Investors acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $574,499,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth about $468,354,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $381,938,000. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $262,169,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

About Vistra

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is an integrated energy company headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company operates electricity generation facilities and provides electricity and related energy services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Its portfolio includes natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery energy storage assets.

Vistra also operates a retail electricity business that offers power plans, renewable energy options, and energy-management services. Its retail brands include TXU Energy, Homefield Energy, Dynegy, and Ambit Energy, serving customers in competitive electricity markets across the United States.