Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” by Analysts

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) has earned an average rating of “Buy” from the sixteen research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $236.7333.

VST has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Vistra from $238.00 to $236.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Vistra from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 16th.

Vistra News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board-approved dividend: Vistra declared a quarterly common dividend of $0.228/share (payable Mar 31; record Mar 20), a 0.4% increase that signals steady cash returns and supports income-oriented holders. Vistra Declares Dividend on Common Stock and Series A Preferred Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Data-center demand story: Company links new Texas data-center deals to long-term power demand growth (AI/colocation), reinforcing Vistra’s revenue tailwinds from large-scale power contracts. Vistra Ties Texas Data Center Deals To Long Term Power Demand Story
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst thematic support: Recent write-ups (e.g., Seeking Alpha) highlight Vistra as an independent power leader positioned to benefit from rising AI-related electricity demand — a constructive narrative for medium-term growth. Vistra Corp. (VST): Independent Power Leader And The 2026 AI Energy Demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings: Vistra is set to report quarterly results next week; investors will focus on same-store generation, margin trends, and forward guidance for 2026. Short-term volatility is likely around the print. Vistra (VST) to Release Quarterly Earnings on Thursday
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank revision: Scotiabank trimmed its FY2025 EPS estimate to $6.91 from $7.11 but retained an Outperform rating and a $293 price target — a mixed signal (lowered near-term profit outlook but continued bullish long-term view). Vistra Corp. (VST) – MarketBeat
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings-beat skepticism: Zacks flagged that Vistra may lack the key ingredients for an upcoming earnings beat, which raises downside risk if results or guidance disappoint. Vistra Corp. (VST) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation & leverage concerns: The stock trades at a high P/E (~62) and the company shows heavy leverage (debt-to-equity ~5.7); these raise investor sensitivity to any earnings or cash-flow misses and can amplify downside. No direct article link

Insider Activity

In other Vistra news, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total value of $3,605,774.55. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 297,998 shares in the company, valued at $48,290,575.90. This represents a 6.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 8,219 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.35, for a total transaction of $1,424,763.65. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 79,854 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,842,690.90. The trade was a 9.33% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VST. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 41,588,784 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,709,519,000 after acquiring an additional 390,157 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 226,514 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,965,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,441,112,000 after purchasing an additional 97,424 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its position 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 valued at $1,392,299,000 after purchasing an additional 930,912 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Vistra during the 2nd quarter valued at $930,080,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vistra Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of VST stock opened at $171.20 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74. Vistra has a 12-month low of $90.51 and a 12-month high of $219.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $58.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 61.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.40. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $162.78 and its 200 day moving average is $181.74.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 20th will be issued 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 yield of 0.5%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s payout ratio is 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.