The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Trims Holdings in Vistra Corp. $VST

01 Aug 2026, 05:53 by Renee Jackson · The Cerbat Gem

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lowered its stake in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST – Free Report) by 3.0% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 198,841 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,073 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in Vistra were worth $29,892,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter worth about $38,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on VST. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, May 21st. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Vistra from $230.00 to $222.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Vistra has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $229.88.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Vistra

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VST opened at $148.49 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $156.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $158.06. The firm has a market cap of $50.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.87 and a beta of 1.40. Vistra Corp. has a 1 year low of $132.66 and a 1 year high of $219.82. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $1.55. The firm had revenue of $5.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.22 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 11.52% and a return on equity of 105.64%. Research analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 9.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st will be paid a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.41%.

Key Headlines Impacting Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $212 and maintained a Buy rating, signaling substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. Morgan Stanley Raises Vistra Price Target
Positive Sentiment: Vistra declared a quarterly common-stock dividend of $0.23 per share, payable September 30 to shareholders of record September 21. The roughly $75 million distribution provides ongoing shareholder support. Vistra Declares Dividend
Positive Sentiment: Investor interest in Vistra’s power-generation capacity could benefit from rising electricity demand associated with data centers, although regulatory limits in New York introduce uncertainty. Vistra Stock Looks Reasonable Following New York Data Center Limits
Neutral Sentiment: Vistra is scheduled to report quarterly results next week. Analysts expect earnings growth, but the company reportedly lacks the combination of estimate revisions and other indicators that typically signal a likely earnings beat. Vistra Earnings Expectations
Negative Sentiment: Shares fell sharply following an analyst downgrade, which appears to be the main recent pressure on the stock. The downgrade offsets Morgan Stanley’s more bullish view and may encourage investors to reduce exposure before earnings. Vistra Shares Down After Analyst Downgrade

Insider Activity

In other news, Director John R. Sult sold 6,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $1,105,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 70,714 shares in the company, valued at $12,021,380. The trade was a 8.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed 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 company’s 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 232,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $37,152,000. This trade represents a 9.72% 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. Insiders sold a total of 41,588 shares of company stock valued at $6,739,227 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Profile

(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.