Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Down 4.7% – Should You Sell?

Posted by Francis Steltz on Jul 18th, 2026

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST – Get Free Report)’s stock price traded down 4.7% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $148.52 and last traded at $152.6710. Approximately 6,997,102 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 39% from the average session volume of 5,027,415 shares. The stock had previously closed at $160.23.

More Vistra News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank raised its FY2026 and FY2027 earnings estimates for Vistra, while keeping an Outperform rating and a $298 price target, reinforcing the view that earnings can keep growing. Scotiabank Raises Vistra Estimates
Positive Sentiment: News that Vistra secured PJM capacity points to better future revenue visibility, which investors typically view as supportive for utility and power producer stocks. Vistra Secures PJM Capacity
Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting rising demand from data centers and increased capital investments in nuclear, solar, storage, and gas assets suggests Vistra could benefit from long-term load growth and reliable earnings expansion. Vistra Benefiting From Data Center Demand
Positive Sentiment: KeyBanc reaffirmed its Buy rating, adding to the bullish analyst tone around the stock. KeyBanc Sticks to Buy Rating
Neutral Sentiment: Vistra was also mentioned in media coverage and trading commentary as a stock showing momentum, which may reflect investor enthusiasm but does not add new fundamental information. Vistra Rises Higher Than Market

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on VST. Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 target price on Vistra in a research report on Monday, April 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $187.00 price objective on Vistra and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. Scotiabank reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $298.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $210.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $230.62.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Vistra

Vistra Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $52.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.98 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $154.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $158.42.

Vistra (NYSE:VST – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $1.55. Vistra had a net margin of 11.52% and a return on equity of 105.64%. The business had revenue of $5.64 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.22 billion. Analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 9.53 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.229 per share. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 22nd. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s payout ratio is presently 15.41%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vistra news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 244 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.00, for a total value of $37,332.00. Following the sale, the director owned 53,006 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,109,918. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Margaret Montemayor sold 4,600 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $736,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 9,760 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,561,600. The trade was a 32.03% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 41,588 shares of company stock worth $6,739,227 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Vistra by 24.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 20,190 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,371,000 after buying an additional 3,920 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP lifted its holdings in Vistra by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 28,744 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,376,000 after buying an additional 8,312 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its position in shares of Vistra by 37.3% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 7,828 shares of the company’s stock worth $920,000 after acquiring an additional 2,125 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth about $269,000. Finally, Slocum Gordon & Co LLP increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 20.0% in the 2nd quarter. Slocum Gordon & Co LLP now owns 1,200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $233,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vistra Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.