Artisan Partners Limited Partnership Sells 388,935 Shares of Vistra Corp. $VST

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership cut its position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 34.0% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 755,979 shares of the company’s stock after selling 388,935 shares during the quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership’s holdings in Vistra were worth $148,111,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fisher Funds Management LTD bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth $1,241,000. FUKOKU MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE Co purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the second quarter valued at $292,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Vistra by 49.2% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 371,497 shares of the company’s stock worth $72,784,000 after buying an additional 122,545 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service increased its holdings in Vistra by 6.3% in the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 1,195,793 shares of the company’s stock worth $234,280,000 after buying an additional 70,693 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Vistra by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,099,120 shares of the company’s stock worth $406,830,000 after buying an additional 35,444 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research report on Friday, February 20th. KeyCorp started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $217.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Vistra from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $236.73.

Vistra Stock Up 0.8%

NYSE VST opened at $176.71 on Friday. Vistra Corp. has a 52 week low of $90.51 and a 52 week high of $219.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74. The company has a market capitalization of $59.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 63.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.40. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $163.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $181.05.

Vistra Increases Dividend

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

Key Vistra News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company reported record full‑year 2025 performance with Ongoing Operations Adjusted EBITDA of $5.912B and Ongoing Operations Adjusted FCFbG of $3.592B, both beating the original guidance midpoint (EBITDA ~+$112M, FCFbG ~+$292M); strong cash flow and operational beats support the multi‑year growth story. Vistra Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management issued 2026 guidance that analysts and outlets say reinforces Vistra’s multi‑year growth path following the record 2025 results — an encouraging signal for forward revenue/EBITDA cadence. Vistra’s 2026 Guidance Reinforces Its Multi-Year Growth Path
• Positive Sentiment: Elevated options activity suggests institutional/big‑money positioning in VST, which can amplify moves on favorable catalysts. Smart Money Is Betting Big In VST Options
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary is mixed: Wells Fargo reaffirmed a Buy and $236 target (bullish), while Morgan Stanley trimmed its target to $215 but kept an Overweight rating — signals of long‑term support but some near‑term target re‑calibration. Morgan Stanley Lowers Vistra (VST) Target While Staying Bullish on Long-Term Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note that VST has lagged peers recently (Moss Landing operational setback), but highlight secular demand from data centers and M&A as potential upside catalysts — a mixed backdrop for valuation. VST Stock Underperforms Industry in the Past 6 Months: How to Play?
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly GAAP results showed an EPS miss (reported $0.55 vs. ~$2.45 est.) and revenue below consensus ($4.58B vs. ~$5.75B), reflecting items that pressured near‑term earnings — investors may focus on GAAP volatility and near‑term operational issues. View Press Release
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP full‑year net income included an $808M unrealized hedge loss (expected to settle in later years), which compresses reported earnings and can spook short‑term GAAP‑focused investors despite strong adjusted metrics. Vistra Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total value of $3,605,774.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 297,998 shares in the company, valued at $48,290,575.90. This represents a 6.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.42% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Vistra 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.