Vistra (NYSE:VST) to Buy Back $1.50 billion in Shares

by · The Markets Daily

Vistra (NYSE:VST – Get Free Report) declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Friday, November 6th, RTT News reports. The company plans to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 3.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Vistra Price Performance

Shares of VST stock traded up $11.64 on Friday, reaching $124.53. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 12,508,216 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,060,803. The company has a market capitalization of $41.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.04 and a beta of 1.37. Vistra has a 12-month low of $110.89 and a 12-month high of $196.80. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $143.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $152.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87.

Vistra (NYSE:VST – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, November 6th. The company reported $3.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.98 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $6.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.03 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Vistra will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

VST has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Vistra from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Seaport Research Partners reduced their price target on Vistra from $226.00 to $202.00 in a research report on Monday. Williams Trading set a $202.00 price objective on Vistra in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. HSBC initiated coverage on Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $190.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on Vistra from $196.00 to $194.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $205.00.

View Our Latest Report on VST

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO James Burke bought 4,465 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $135.25 per share, for a total transaction of $603,891.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,146,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $155,044,108. The trade was a 0.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 44,444 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.92% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Vistra Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

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