Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Gets Price Target Reduction from Morgan Stanley

Posted by Brian Himes on Oct 24th, 2026

Vistra (NYSE:VST – Free Report) had its price target lowered by Morgan Stanley from $227.00 to $226.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Zacks Research downgraded Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $201.00 price target on the stock. TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of Vistra from $222.00 to $221.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Raymond James Financial set a $176.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $212.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, August 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vistra has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $211.20.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on VST

Vistra Stock Performance

NYSE:VST opened at $140.29 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $47.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.70 and a beta of 1.38. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $145.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $151.17. 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 1-year low of $132.66 and a 1-year high of $203.66.

Vistra (NYSE:VST – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.61 by ($0.85). The firm had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 108.68%. Research analysts anticipate that Vistra will post 9.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were paid a $0.23 dividend. 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 $0.2290. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. Vistra’s payout ratio is presently 15.54%.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In related news, EVP Scott Hudson sold 44,444 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.82, for a total transaction of $6,747,488.08. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 331,137 shares of the company’s stock, 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 SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO James A. Burke acquired 4,465 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $135.25 per share, with a total value of $603,891.25. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,146,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $155,044,108. This trade represents a 0.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.92% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capstone Capital Management Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $450,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Vistra by 4.7% during the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 2,283 shares of the company’s stock worth $316,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Oak Grove Capital LLC increased its stake in Vistra by 12.8% in the third quarter. Oak Grove Capital LLC now owns 224,510 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,061,000 after acquiring an additional 25,400 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its stake in Vistra by 41.5% in the third quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 2,559 shares of the company’s stock valued at $354,000 after acquiring an additional 751 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Avaii Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Vistra by 18.6% in the third quarter. Avaii Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,124 shares of the company’s stock valued at $577,000 after acquiring an additional 648 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

Positive Sentiment: HSBC initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a $190 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. Siebert Williams Shank also maintained its Buy rating. HSBC initiates coverage of Vistra at buy
Positive Sentiment: Vistra’s history of exceeding analyst earnings estimates, combined with favorable estimate trends and other earnings-related indicators, suggests the company may produce another quarterly earnings beat. A positive surprise could help stabilize the stock after its recent weakness. Can Vistra Keep the Earnings Surprise Streak Alive?
Neutral Sentiment: Texas regulators have paused or are auditing some data-center hookups to the ERCOT grid. The review could delay the timing of AI-related electricity demand for Vistra, although long-term growth prospects from data-center power consumption remain intact. Texas Paused Data Center Hookups
Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley cut its price target for Vistra, adding to concerns about valuation and near-term upside. The target reduction likely contributed to the recent pressure on the shares. Vistra Stock Price Target Cut by Morgan Stanley

About Vistra

(Get Free Report)

Vistra Corp. (NYSE: VST) is an integrated energy company based in Irving, Texas. The company operates across electricity generation, power distribution support, energy marketing and retail electricity sales, serving residential, commercial and industrial customers primarily in the United States.

Vistra owns and operates a diverse portfolio of power generation and energy storage facilities. Its assets include natural gas, nuclear, coal and renewable generation, as well as battery storage projects.