Artisan Partners Limited Partnership Lowers Position in Vistra Corp. $VST

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership decreased its holdings in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 34.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 755,979 shares of the company’s stock after selling 388,935 shares during the quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership owned 0.22% of Vistra worth $148,111,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp grew its stake in Vistra by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 16,660,027 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,228,880,000 after buying an additional 226,514 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 15.1% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,106,465 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,392,299,000 after acquiring an additional 930,912 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Vistra in the second quarter worth $930,080,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Vistra by 25.2% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,537,384 shares of the company’s stock worth $879,390,000 after acquiring an additional 913,350 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Vistra by 0.7% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,344,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $459,264,000 after acquiring an additional 16,321 shares during the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VST has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Evercore lifted their price target on Vistra from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $191.00 to $203.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vistra has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $236.73.

Vistra News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company reported record full‑year 2025 performance with Ongoing Operations Adjusted EBITDA of $5.912B and Ongoing Operations Adjusted FCFbG of $3.592B, both beating the original guidance midpoint (EBITDA ~+$112M, FCFbG ~+$292M); strong cash flow and operational beats support the multi‑year growth story. Vistra Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management issued 2026 guidance that analysts and outlets say reinforces Vistra’s multi‑year growth path following the record 2025 results — an encouraging signal for forward revenue/EBITDA cadence. Vistra’s 2026 Guidance Reinforces Its Multi-Year Growth Path
• Positive Sentiment: Elevated options activity suggests institutional/big‑money positioning in VST, which can amplify moves on favorable catalysts. Smart Money Is Betting Big In VST Options
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary is mixed: Wells Fargo reaffirmed a Buy and $236 target (bullish), while Morgan Stanley trimmed its target to $215 but kept an Overweight rating — signals of long‑term support but some near‑term target re‑calibration. Morgan Stanley Lowers Vistra (VST) Target While Staying Bullish on Long-Term Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note that VST has lagged peers recently (Moss Landing operational setback), but highlight secular demand from data centers and M&A as potential upside catalysts — a mixed backdrop for valuation. VST Stock Underperforms Industry in the Past 6 Months: How to Play?
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly GAAP results showed an EPS miss (reported $0.55 vs. ~$2.45 est.) and revenue below consensus ($4.58B vs. ~$5.75B), reflecting items that pressured near‑term earnings — investors may focus on GAAP volatility and near‑term operational issues. View Press Release
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP full‑year net income included an $808M unrealized hedge loss (expected to settle in later years), which compresses reported earnings and can spook short‑term GAAP‑focused investors despite strong adjusted metrics. Vistra Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other Vistra news, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total transaction of $3,605,774.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 297,998 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,290,575.90. The trade was a 6.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Vistra Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE VST opened at $176.71 on Friday. Vistra Corp. has a 1 year low of $90.51 and a 1 year high of $219.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $163.23 and a 200 day moving average of $181.05. The stock has a market cap of $59.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 63.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.40.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be given a $0.228 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 20th. This represents a $0.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s payout ratio is presently 32.85%.

About Vistra

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.