Zacks Research Upgrades Vistra (NYSE:VST) to Strong-Buy

Vistra (NYSE:VST) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on VST. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $210.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Vistra from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their target price on Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $230.62.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of VST opened at $162.22 on Monday. Vistra has a 12-month low of $132.66 and a 12-month high of $219.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51. The company has a market cap of $54.70 billion, a PE ratio of 27.17 and a beta of 1.40. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $154.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $158.37.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $1.55. The company had revenue of $5.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.22 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 11.52% and a return on equity of 105.64%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Vistra will post 9.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other Vistra news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 25,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total transaction of $4,000,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 232,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $37,152,000. This trade represents a 9.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director John R. Sult sold 6,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $1,105,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 70,714 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,021,380. The trade was a 8.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 41,588 shares of company stock valued at $6,739,227 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Equitable Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 7,045 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,380,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. increased its stake in shares of Vistra by 21.7% in the 4th quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 365 shares of the company’s stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Vistra by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,770 shares of the company’s stock worth $286,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its holdings in Vistra by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 2,409 shares of the company’s stock worth $389,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the period. Finally, Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Vistra by 4.9% during the first quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,511 shares of the company’s stock valued at $227,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Vistra News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Vistra Corp. (VST) from hold to strong-buy, a catalyst that can draw in momentum and institutional buyers. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary highlighted Vistra as a solid growth stock with “3 reasons to think yes,” reinforcing the view that the company’s earnings and operating profile could support further upside. Is Vistra (VST) a Solid Growth Stock? 3 Reasons to Think “Yes”
• Positive Sentiment: Another article noted that Vistra (VST) has been outpacing the broader market, with the stock recently posting a gain and reflecting sustained investor demand. Vistra Corp. (VST) Outpaces Stock Market Gains: What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage also pointed to broadly bullish analyst views, with Vistra’s average brokerage recommendation at Buy, but the article questioned how much weight investors should place on consensus ratings. Should You Invest in Vistra (VST) Based on Bullish Wall Street Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader nuclear-energy policy news, including a DOE-backed Nuclear Fuel Cycle Consortium, may support sentiment for power-generation and nuclear-related names, but the impact on Vistra is indirect. The Consortium Fueling the Nuclear Renaissance

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.