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Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 20th, 2026

California Public Employees Retirement System lowered its stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST – Free Report) by 27.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 451,638 shares of the company’s stock after selling 172,875 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System owned approximately 0.13% of Vistra worth $67,895,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of VST. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in Vistra by 95.1% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 177,199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,638,000 after acquiring an additional 86,393 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth about $746,729,000. Payden & Rygel increased its stake in shares of Vistra by 3,118.2% during the 4th quarter. Payden & Rygel now owns 35,400 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,711,000 after purchasing an additional 34,300 shares during the last quarter. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,875,000. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vistra by 34.4% in the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 188,921 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,479,000 after purchasing an additional 48,378 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Key Vistra News Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank raised its FY2026 and FY2027 earnings estimates for Vistra, while keeping an Outperform rating and a $298 price target, reinforcing the view that earnings can keep growing. Scotiabank Raises Vistra Estimates Positive Sentiment: News that Vistra secured PJM capacity points to better future revenue visibility, which investors typically view as supportive for utility and power producer stocks. Vistra Secures PJM Capacity Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighting rising demand from data centers and increased capital investments in nuclear, solar, storage, and gas assets suggests Vistra could benefit from long-term load growth and reliable earnings expansion. Vistra Benefiting From Data Center Demand Positive Sentiment: KeyBanc reaffirmed its Buy rating, adding to the bullish analyst tone around the stock. KeyBanc Sticks to Buy Rating Neutral Sentiment: Vistra was also mentioned in media coverage and trading commentary as a stock showing momentum, which may reflect investor enthusiasm but does not add new fundamental information. Vistra Rises Higher Than Market Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades VST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Seaport Research Partners restated a “buy” rating and issued a $230.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, June 15th. TD Cowen cut their price objective on Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Scotiabank reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $298.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $190.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Two equities 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $230.62.

Read Our Latest Research Report on VST

Insider Transactions at Vistra In related news, Director John R. Sult sold 6,500 shares of Vistra 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 directly owned 70,714 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,021,380. This trade represents a 8.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $4,000,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 232,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $37,152,000. This trade represents a 9.72% 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 a total of 41,588 shares of company stock worth $6,739,227 in the last ninety days. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Vistra Stock Performance Shares of VST stock opened at $155.12 on Monday. Vistra Corp. has a 52 week low of $132.66 and a 52 week high of $219.82. The company has a market capitalization of $52.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.98 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $154.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of $158.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.90.

Vistra (NYSE:VST – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $1.55. The firm 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%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 9.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.229 per share. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 22nd. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is 15.41%.

About Vistra (Free Report)

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.

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Key Takeaways Vistra plans to invest $2.587 billion in 2026, up from $2.16 billion in 2025.Capital spending targets nuclear, solar, battery storage and modernized gas-fired facilities.Vistra is adding 4.5 GW organically and plans to acquire Cogentrix's 5,500-MW portfolio. Vistra Corp. (VST - Free Report) is well positioned for long-term growth, supported by its disciplined capital investment strategy. As the energy sector shifts toward cleaner and more reliable power generation, the company is making significant capital investments to expand its renewable energy and battery storage portfolio. These investments are expected to strengthen Vistra's ability to meet growing electricity demand while enhancing grid reliability and supporting long-term earnings growth.

Vistra aims to invest $2.587 billion in 2026, up from $2.16 billion and $1.93 billion invested in 2025 and 2024, respectively. The company’s capital expenditure is strategically directed toward the development of nuclear, solar, battery storage and modernized gas-fired facilities. Vistra operates a diversified generation fleet with approximately 44,000 megawatts (“MW”) of capacity, spanning natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar and battery energy storage assets.

VST is strategically deploying capital to expand its asset base, modernize technology and improve operational efficiency, strengthening the long-term growth prospects. The company is also growing its natural gas portfolio through acquisitions, including the Lotus assets and the planned acquisition of Cogentrix's 5,500-MW portfolio, while advancing approximately 4.5 GW of organic capacity additions to meet rising electricity demand and support cash flow growth.

With strong fundamentals and a clear capital deployment strategy, Vistra’s steadily rising CapEx signals long-term upside potential. Investors may view Vistra as a compelling opportunity in the evolving utility and clean energy space.

Utilities Are Investing in Energy TransitionUtilities across the United States are ramping up investments to advance the energy transition, directing capital toward expanding renewable generation and energy storage infrastructure.

NextEra Energy’s (NEE - Free Report) growth strategy is its planned capital investment of more than $94.1 billion through 2030. Planned investment at NEE’s unit FPL and NextEra Energy Resources will expand generation, strengthen grid reliability and accelerate renewable and storage development, supporting long-term earnings growth amid rising power demand.

Duke Energy's (DUK - Free Report) outlook is supported by its regulated utility operations and robust capital investment plan of $103 billion in the 2026-2030 period. Investments in grid modernization, renewable energy and transmission infrastructure are expected to expand Duke Energy's operation and drive consistent earnings.

The Zacks Rundown on VSTThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Vistra’s 2026 and 2027 earnings per share indicates a year-over-year increase of 80.99% and 18.06%, respectively, in the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

VST’s trailing 12-month return on equity (ROE) is 105.64%, way ahead of its industry average of 11.21%. ROE, a profitability measure, reflects how effectively a company is utilizing its shareholders’ funds in operations to generate income.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Shares of Vistra have risen 1% in the past month compared with the Zacks Utility- Electric Power industry’s of 0.7% rally.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

VST's Zacks Rank

Key Takeaways Vistra is positioned to benefit from AI, data center, electrification and industrial power demand.Long-term PPAs with Meta and AWS provide recurring revenues and reduce merchant price volatility.Vistra's diversified fleet and integrated model support operational flexibility and stable earnings. Vistra Corp. (VST - Free Report) is well-positioned to benefit from the rapidly growing U.S. electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence, hyperscale data centers, electrification and industrial expansion. The company operates one of the nation's largest and most diversified power generation portfolios, including natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar and battery storage assets. This diversified fleet enables Vistra to reliably serve increasing power demand while maintaining operational flexibility across changing market conditions.

A key long-term growth catalyst is Vistra's power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Meta and Amazon Web Services (“AWS”). These long-duration contracts provide predictable and recurring revenue streams by locking in electricity sales over extended periods. As leading technology companies continue expanding AI infrastructure and hyperscale data centers, Vistra is positioned to benefit from sustained electricity demand backed by investment-grade counterparties. The contracts improve earnings visibility, reduce merchant power price volatility and strengthen cash flow stability, supporting long-term financial performance.

Vistra continues to strengthen its competitive position through disciplined investments in power generation, battery energy storage and strategic acquisitions. Its integrated business model, which combines electricity generation with retail operations, provides natural hedging benefits and supports stable earnings across market cycles.

Growing AI-driven electricity demand, expanding clean energy investments, long-term power purchase agreements and a diversified generation portfolio position Vistra for sustained earnings and cash flow growth. These strengths, along with its ability to enhance shareholder returns, make the company an attractive long-term investment despite short-term market volatility.

PPAs Bring Stability in Utility EarningsPPAs strengthen utilities' growth prospects by providing stable, predictable revenue streams and limiting exposure to wholesale electricity price fluctuations. These contracts enhance earnings visibility, support investments in new generation assets, improve cash flow stability and drive sustainable long-term shareholder value.

Utilities such as Constellation Energy (CEG - Free Report) and NextEra Energy (NEE - Free Report) benefit significantly from long-term PPAs, which provide predictable revenue streams and reduce exposure to wholesale power price volatility. These contracts improve earnings visibility, support investments in clean energy projects and generation capacity, strengthen cash flow stability and create sustainable long-term shareholder value.

The Zacks Rundown for VSTThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for Vistra’s earnings per share for 2026 and 2027 indicates a year-over-year increase of 80.99% and 18.06%, respectively.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Return on equity (“ROE”), a profitability measure, reflects how effectively a company is utilizing shareholders’ funds in its operations to generate income.

VST’s trailing 12-month ROE is 105.64%, way ahead of its industry average of 11.21%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

VST’s Price PerformanceShares of Vistra have gained 1.4% in the past three months against the Zacks Utility- Electric Power industry’s decline of 2.9%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

VST’s Zacks RankVistra currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here