Scotiabank Has Negative Outlook of Vistra FY2026 Earnings

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) – Equities researchers at Scotiabank lowered their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Vistra in a research report issued on Thursday, February 19th. Scotiabank analyst A. Weisel now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $9.08 for the year, down from their previous estimate of $9.10. Scotiabank currently has a “Outperform” rating and a $293.00 target price on the stock. The consensus estimate for Vistra’s current full-year earnings is $7.00 per share.

VST has been the topic of a number of other reports. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Vistra from $230.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. 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 research note on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Vistra from $238.00 to $236.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, KeyCorp initiated coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, November 24th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $217.00 price target on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $236.73.

Vistra Stock Performance

Vistra stock opened at $171.20 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.88. Vistra has a 12 month low of $90.51 and a 12 month high of $219.82. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $162.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $181.61. The company has a market cap of $58.01 billion, a PE ratio of 61.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.41.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Quent Capital LLC bought a new stake in Vistra during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new position in Vistra in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Archer Investment Corp increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 2,700.0% in the third quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total transaction of $3,605,774.55. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 297,998 shares in the company, valued at $48,290,575.90. The trade was a 6.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Increases Dividend

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

Key Stories Impacting Vistra

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

Vistra Company Profile

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.