Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 7.2% After Earnings Beat

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price was up 7.2% during mid-day trading on Monday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $134.80 and last traded at $133.7830. Approximately 7,348,541 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 38% from the average session volume of 5,323,079 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.80.

The company reported $3.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.98 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $6.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.03 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 123.66% and a net margin of 13.15%.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.2310 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 22nd. 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. Vistra’s payout ratio is 15.54%.

Vistra declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Friday, November 6th that allows the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 3.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Share buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

More Vistra News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vistra’s record third-quarter earnings helped drive a post-results rebound. The company reported $3.23 per share, above the $2.98 consensus estimate, and revenue of $6.35 billion, also ahead of expectations. Vistra (VST) Stock Climbs After Record Q3 Earnings Power
• Positive Sentiment: Vistra’s board initiated a stock buyback program, which may support shareholder returns and signal confidence in the company’s prospects. Vistra Board of Directors Initiates Stock Buyback Program
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive: BMO retained its Outperform rating and sees substantial potential upside despite lowering its price target to $188 from $210. Bernstein also reiterated its Outperform rating. Vistra Keeps Sliding: Why BMO Sees 66% Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical analysis says shares are holding above a key pivot after the earnings strength, but momentum is fading—suggesting the rally may face near-term resistance. VST Price Prediction: Vistra Holds Above Pivot as Earnings Strength Meets Fading Momentum
• Negative Sentiment: Potential limits or delays to Texas data-center development could weigh on power-demand growth. Vistra is described as more exposed to this risk than Constellation Energy, making policy uncertainty a concern for its growth outlook. Vistra and Constellation Both Fell Sharply After the Election

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VST has been the topic of a number of research reports. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Vistra from $210.00 to $188.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Raymond James Financial set a $176.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Vistra from $190.00 to $189.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 24th. Lake Street Capital set a $194.00 price target on Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, October 27th. Finally, KeyCorp lowered shares of Vistra from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $202.48.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO James Burke purchased 4,465 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $135.25 per share, with a total value of $603,891.25. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 1,146,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $155,044,108. The trade was a 0.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 22,222 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.14, for a total transaction of $3,558,631.08. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 308,915 shares in the company, valued at $49,469,648.10. This represents a 6.71% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.92% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Premier Financial Group acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Stonehage Fleming Financial Services Holdings Ltd acquired a new stake in Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth about $37,000. Silicon Valley Capital Partners purchased a new stake in Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Latitude Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vistra Stock Up 7.2%

The firm has a market cap of $44.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.60 and a beta of 1.37. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $143.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $152.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

Vistra Company Profile

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.