Vistra (NYSE:VST) Given Outperform Rating at Sanford C. Bernstein

Sanford C. Bernstein restated their outperform rating on shares of Vistra (NYSE:VST) in a research note published on Friday,Benzinga reports. Sanford C. Bernstein currently has a $181.00 price objective on the stock.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. Williams Trading set a $202.00 price objective on Vistra in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Scotiabank lowered their price target on shares of Vistra from $207.00 to $189.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, August 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $169.00 target price for the company. BNP Paribas Exane set a $255.00 price objective on Vistra and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, UBS Group set a $176.00 target price on Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $203.35.

Vistra Price Performance

Vistra stock traded up $11.64 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $124.53. 12,508,216 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,060,803. The company has a market capitalization of $41.80 billion, a PE ratio of 21.04 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87. The business has a fifty day moving average of $143.88 and a 200 day moving average of $152.65. Vistra has a 1-year low of $110.89 and a 1-year high of $196.80.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.61 by ($0.85). Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%. The firm had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.46 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Vistra will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Friday, November 6th that permits the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to buy up to 3.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 22nd will be paid a $0.2310 dividend. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 22nd. Vistra’s payout ratio is 15.54%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 44,444 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 331,137 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,273,219.34. This represents a 11.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO James Burke purchased 4,465 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $135.25 per share, with a total value of $603,891.25. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 1,146,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $155,044,108. This trade represents a 0.39% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.92% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Premier Financial Group bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Stonehage Fleming Financial Services Holdings Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Silicon Valley Capital Partners bought a new stake in Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at about $39,000. Latitude Advisors LLC bought a new position in Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at about $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Key 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

Vistra Company Profile

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.