Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Falls 6.7% on Analyst Downgrade

Posted by on Oct 16th, 2026

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST – Get Free Report)’s share price fell 6.7% on Wednesday after Zacks Research downgraded the stock from a hold rating to a strong sell rating. The company traded as low as $149.66 and last traded at $151.5330. 7,219,586 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 41% from the average session volume of 5,123,037 shares. The stock had previously closed at $162.36.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $181.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $212.00 to $227.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday. They set an “outperform” rating and a $201.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Williams Trading set a $202.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $216.74.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on VST

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO James A. Burke acquired 4,465 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $135.25 per share, with a total value of $603,891.25. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,146,352 shares in the company, valued at approximately $155,044,108. The trade was a 0.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott Hudson sold 44,444 shares of Vistra 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 331,137 shares in the company, valued at $50,273,219.34. The trade was a 11.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Vistra News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: The Department of Energy reportedly approved a $4.2 billion loan to help Vistra modernize its generation fleet, expand capacity and serve rising electricity demand in major data-center markets. The financing strengthens the company’s ability to benefit from the AI-related power buildout. Vistra Stock Surged Following Its $4.2 Billion Federal Loan
  • Positive Sentiment: Investors continue to view Vistra as an AI data-center electricity supplier, with strong power demand in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Texas supporting the company’s long-term earnings case. The company was also highlighted in articles discussing prominent investor portfolios, increasing attention around the stock. President Trump and Nancy Pelosi’s AI Data Center Stock Pick: Vistra
  • Neutral Sentiment: Vistra announced the redemption of all outstanding Series A preferred stock for approximately $1.0 billion. The move simplifies the capital structure but uses cash and does not directly change the company’s operating outlook. Vistra Announces Redemption of All Outstanding Series A Preferred Stock
  • Neutral Sentiment: Some analysis considers Vistra fairly valued in the near term, although continued nuclear expansion could offer substantial long-term upside. Comparisons with Constellation Energy suggest Vistra may lack a near-term catalyst despite its longer-term growth potential. Why Constellation Energy Has a Near-Term Edge Over Vistra
  • Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded Vistra from “hold” to “strong sell,” adding pressure to sentiment. The downgrade follows Vistra’s latest reported quarterly earnings miss, in which EPS and revenue came in below consensus expectations. Vistra Corp. Surpasses Market Returns: Some Facts Worth Knowing

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $4,610,496,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Vistra by 16.1% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 258,337 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,979,000 after acquiring an additional 35,862 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in Vistra by 95.1% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 177,199 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,638,000 after acquiring an additional 86,393 shares in the last quarter. Wealth High Governance Capital Ltda bought a new stake in Vistra in the first quarter worth approximately $10,543,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its position in Vistra by 353.5% in the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 11,690 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,757,000 after acquiring an additional 9,112 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vistra Trading Down 1.8%

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $144.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $151.28. The company has a market cap of $50.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.58 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.97.

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 company had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%. Research analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 9.04 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared 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 is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.2290. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 15.54%.

About Vistra

(Get Free Report)

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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