Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST – Get Free Report)’s stock price was up 1.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday after Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce upgraded the stock to a strong-buy rating. The company traded as high as $154.46 and last traded at $154.2620. 7,139,350 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 39% from the average daily volume of 5,134,188 shares. The stock had previously closed at $151.79.
Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Vistra from $212.00 to $227.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Zacks Research downgraded Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $181.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 target price on Vistra in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Vistra from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $216.74.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Vistra
Insider Transactions at Vistra
In other news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 44,444 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 331,137 shares in the company, valued at $50,273,219.34. This represents a 11.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO James Burke acquired 4,465 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $135.25 per share, with a total value of $603,891.25. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 1,146,352 shares in the company, valued at approximately $155,044,108. This represents a 0.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.
Key Headlines Impacting Vistra
Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:
- Positive Sentiment: The Department of Energy announced a $4.2 billion federal loan to help Vistra modernize its generation fleet and expand capacity in high-growth power markets. The financing could strengthen the company’s ability to serve data centers and other customers as electricity demand rises. Vistra Stock Surged Following Its $4.2 Billion Federal Loan
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts and financial media continue to identify Vistra as a major beneficiary of AI data-center power demand, with generation assets in fast-growing U.S. markets. One article estimates substantial long-term upside if nuclear and power-demand growth persist. Why Constellation Energy Has A Near-Term Edge Over Vistra
- Neutral Sentiment: Vistra announced the redemption of all one million Series A preferred shares for $1 billion. Eliminating the 8% preferred stock may simplify the capital structure and reduce preferred obligations, although it also requires a substantial cash outlay. Vistra Announces Redemption of All Outstanding Series A Preferred Stock
- Neutral Sentiment: Vistra was featured as a top AI data-center stock associated with portfolios attributed to President Trump and Nancy Pelosi. The coverage is largely promotional and does not represent a new company-specific catalyst. President Trump and Nancy Pelosi’s AI Data Center Stock Pick
- Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded VST from “Hold” to “Strong Sell,” adding a clear near-term bearish signal. Recent volatility and a sharp decline earlier in the week may also be keeping investors cautious.
- Negative Sentiment: Vistra’s latest reported quarter missed consensus expectations for both earnings and revenue, which may reinforce concerns about execution despite the company’s favorable long-term power-demand outlook.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Vistra during the second quarter worth about $4,610,496,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $468,354,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Vistra during the 2nd quarter valued at $381,938,000. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the second quarter valued at about $262,169,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $138,267,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.
Vistra Stock Down 1.4%
The stock has a market capitalization of $51.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.69 and a beta of 1.38. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $145.07 and its 200-day moving average is $151.29. 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 (NYSE:VST – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.61 by ($0.85). Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%. The company had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.46 billion. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 9.04 earnings per share for the current year.
Vistra Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were paid a dividend of $0.23 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 $0.2290. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.54%.
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.
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