Vistra (NYSE:VST) Cut to “Sector Weight” at KeyCorp

KeyCorp lowered shares of Vistra (NYSE:VST) from an overweight rating to a sector weight rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, MarketBeat.com reports. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Vistra’s Q3 2026 earnings at $3.06 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $8.04 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $11.01 EPS.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on VST. Bank of America cut their target price on shares of Vistra from $196.00 to $194.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 27th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Vistra from $227.00 to $226.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce dropped their price target on shares of Vistra from $201.00 to $181.00 and set an “outperformer” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $231.00 to $210.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, August 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $169.00 price objective for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $203.35.

Vistra Stock Performance

NYSE:VST traded up $11.64 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $124.53. The company had a trading volume of 12,508,216 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,060,803. Vistra has a 1-year low of $110.89 and a 1-year high of $196.80. The firm has a market cap of $41.80 billion, a PE ratio of 21.04 and a beta of 1.37. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $143.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $152.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.61 by ($0.85). The company had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%. Research analysts forecast that Vistra will post 8.74 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 22nd will be given a $0.2310 dividend. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 22nd. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.54%.

Vistra declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Friday, November 6th that allows the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 3.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Share buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, CEO James A. Burke bought 4,465 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $135.25 per share, for a total transaction of $603,891.25. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,146,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $155,044,108. This represents a 0.39% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott Hudson sold 44,444 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 331,137 shares in the company, valued at $50,273,219.34. This trade represents 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. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Premier Financial Group purchased a new position in Vistra during the second quarter valued at $34,000. Stonehage Fleming Financial Services Holdings Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter valued at about $37,000. Silicon Valley Capital Partners purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the second quarter worth about $39,000. Latitude Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the third quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the third quarter worth about $43,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Vistra News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vistra reported third-quarter EPS of $3.25, above the $2.98 consensus, and net income of $1.14 billion versus FactSet’s $1.01 billion estimate. Ongoing Operations Adjusted EBITDA rose more than 50% year over year to $2.378 billion. Vistra Q3 results
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 outlook and announced a $1.5 billion share repurchase authorization, supporting expectations for stronger earnings and shareholder returns. Vistra raises outlook and announces buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed its “Outperform” rating and set a $181 price target, signaling substantial upside from the cited share price. Bernstein rating and target
• Negative Sentiment: Investors still face uncertainty over potential Texas policy changes and their effects on data-center development and electricity demand. KeyBanc’s recent downgrade reflected those concerns. KeyBanc downgrade and Texas policy risks

About Vistra

Vistra Corp. is an integrated energy company that generates and sells electricity and provides related services to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Its retail businesses offer electricity plans and energy services through brands that include TXU Energy and Ambit Energy.

The company owns and operates a diverse generation fleet, including natural gas, nuclear, coal and solar facilities, as well as battery energy storage systems. Its operations serve customers and wholesale power markets across multiple U.S.